Softball Splits with Army Thanks to Taylor Walk-Off

Wednesday, April 10

Drexel Softball Field

2:00 p.m.

Drexel University

10-25

Army

19-15

Army

Drexel

Softball Splits with Army Thanks to Taylor Walk-Off

4/10/2013 6:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PHILADELPHIA - The Drexel offense picked a good time to break out on Wednesday afternoon. After dropping the first game 5-1 to Army, Drexel softball won the second game of its doubleheader with the Black Knights, 7-3. The Dragons hit three home runs in the second game, doubling their season total. The capper was provided by the game's starting pitcher as Shelby Taylor lifted the Dragons to a walk-off win with a grand slam, her second home run of the day.

Taylor got the win, giving up just two earned runs in seven innings of work. Tara Konopka suffered the loss in Game One, but scored the game-winning run as a pinch runner in Game Two.

Drexel took an early 1-0 lead in the first game when Jess O'Hara connected for her first home run of the season with one out in the second inning. The drive cleared the left-center field fence with ease, and was just the fourth home run of the year for the Dragons.

Taylor, who breezed through the first two innings, got into trouble in the third thanks to a one-out walk of ninth-place hitter Alex Gaff. With two away, Kasey McCravey smashed a two-run homer to straightaway center field, putting Army back on top. They would add another run, this one unearned, in the fourth to make it a 3-1 game.

Taylor made sure the Dragons got that unearned run back right away. Leading off the bottom of the fourth, she stepped up and stroked a drive to left field, her first home run of the year.

The score remained 3-2 through the sixth inning, with Army surviving a Drexel threat that saw the Dragons load the bases with two outs in the sixth. In the seventh inning, however, Ellen Scott got things started with a sharply-hit single back up the middle. Up stepped pinch hitter Comfort Ahonkhai, who put down a perfect drag bunt to put runners on first and second with no one out.

After a fielder's choice eliminated pinch runner Lara Horwitz at third base, Sylvia Llamas came to the plate. Llamas, seeing her first action since suffering a shoulder injury on March 24, caught Army's defense off guard when she put down a perfect bunt down the third base line. No one even made an attempt at throwing a runner out as the bases were loaded with one away for leadoff hitter Hanna Parrish.

Parrish delivered with a bloop single that fell just beyond third base. With the runners having to hold to make sure the ball dropped, Ahonkhai scampered home with the tying run as Konopka, who had pinch run for Jenn Reading at second base, slid into third. The throw got away as Army scrambled to recover, but the freshman Konopka did not try to force the issue.

Up stepped Taylor, and after taking a strike, the junior pitcher hit a smash to left-center field. It would easily have plated Konopka regardless, but the ball continued to sail up and over the fence, a grand slam to give the Dragons a 7-3 win.

Taylor was also outstanding in the circle, scattering five hits and striking out five in her seven innings. She allowed just one baserunner, a two-out double in the seventh, after the run-scoring fourth inning.

The win snapped a seven-game losing skid for Drexel which was extended in the first game when the Dragons were bested by Army 5-1. Jenn Reading had an RBI double, playing Horwitz in the fourth inning to tie the game at one, but the Black Knights broke out for four runs in the fifth to put the game away. Konopka, who survived a rough first inning with only one run allowed, pitched well outside those first and fifth innings, striking out five over her seven innings of work.

Drexel will return to CAA play on Saturday when the Dragons visit Towson for a three-game series. Drexel is still in search of its first CAA victory of the year.