Dragons Split Day One of USC Upstate Classic

Friday, February 24

Spartanburg, S.C.

9 a.m.

Drexel University

0-6

USC Upstate

8-0

Drexel

USC Upstate

2/24/2023 2:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Nelson Throws Two-Hitter Against Iona

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Drexel softball team split a doubleheader on Friday morning to open its weekend at the USC Upstate Wings Etc. Classic hosted by the Spartans. The Dragons dropped a heartbreaking defeat to the hosts in game one, 6-5, and dominated game two against Iona, 4-0.

GAME ONE
Jessica Schable (0-4) started the classic in the circle for Drexel. The pitcher went six and a third, fanning four batters.

The Dragons collected six hits, all earned by six different Dragons. The team also had five RBIs, all earned by five different Dragons.

Savaanah Garcia led the charge for Drexel, going 1-for-3, with an RBI triple in the third inning. The triple was Garcia's second triple of her career.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Spartans jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the second inning, but the Dragons dwindled the deficit in the top of the third. Garcia hit a ball to right field and scored Grace Abbonizio. After the Spartans hit a home run in the bottom of the third, the game fell quiet until the sixth inning.

Lily Meuninck hit a double to right field and scored Garcia to make the game 4-2. However, in the bottom of the inning, a home run to left field gave USC the three-point lead.

Drexel's rally in the seventh inning began on the first pitch of the inning. Kylee Guerrera hit a home run to left field. Three pitches later, Madison Gayle got a hold of a ball and sent it to left center to get the Dragons one run away from the hosts. The Dragons managed to push the tying run across the plate with a single by Ameryn Humble. With the bases loaded and one out, the Dragons could not score another run and went into the bottom of the seventh inning tied, 5-5.

Upstate scored the winning run on a double to left center in the bottom of the seventh and won the game, 6-5.

GAME TWO
Lindsay Nelson (1-2) pitched one of the best games of her career in game two. The senior tossed just the second complete game shutout of her career. To add onto the brilliant performance, the Old Bridge, N.J. native fanned five batters and held the Gaels to just two hits over 89 pitches.

Izzy Alamillo went 2-for-4 in game two, scoring two runs. Garcia followed her game one performance with a 1-for-2 game two with an RBI and drawing two walks.

Head coach Katie Jansson faced the Gaels, her alma mater, for the first time since leaving the program after the 2020 season. Jansson served as the head coach for Iona for three seasons before taking over at Drexel.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dragons took the lead in the first inning, scoring 75 percent of their runs. Meuninck hit a single to left field and scored Alamillo and then two batters later, Guerrera knocked two runs in with a single to right center.

In the fifth inning, Garcia singled to right field and scored Alamillo to push the lead to 4-0.

Nelson carried a no-hitter through 3.2 innings. Iona hit a single to left center in the fourth and then added a second hit in the bottom of the seventh. Neither of those opportunities went far, as Drexel shut down any type of rally.

UP NEXT
The Dragons return to Spartanburg to play in day two of the USC Upstate Wings Etc. Classic on Saturday. Drexel will face Iona at 11 a.m. and then will play the hosts at 5 p.m.