Box Score DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley University pitcher
Jamie Stefani picked up where she left off last year as the sophomore hurled a complete-game four hitter in the Aggies' 2-1, season-opening win over visiting Swarthmore College. Game two did not go the minimum five innings due to darkness and thus was declared a no contest.
It was also the head coaching debut and first win for 2012 DelVal graduate
Maggie Kichler as she returned to her alma mater in January to take over the program.
Stefani was an all-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom first-team honoree as a freshman in 2016 as she tied a school record with 11 wins and broke the strikeout mark with 111. She began the 2017 campaign by retiring the Garnet (0-3) in order in the first inning.
In the bottom of the first,
Koraima Dudley was hit by a pitch and she hustled all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Maddie O'Donohue. Dudley was forced to stay at third on a short fly to right for the second out of the inning. That brought
Morgan Brown to the plate and she came through by ripping a double to left-center field to plate Dudley with the first run of the season.
It stayed a 1-0 game through five innings as Stefani permitted just two hits, both opposite-field singles to right by Elizabeth Curcio. Swarthmore pitcher Frankki Ponziani was strong as well as she allowed two hits following Brown's double over the next four stanzas.
In the sixth, Garnet centerfielder Hannah Thompson laid down a perfect bunt for a leadoff hit. She was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored the tying run when Marisa Mancini laced a double to left-center. Mancini moved to third with two outs, but Stefani got a line out to end the threat.
DelVal responded with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth,
Kelsey Stoneberg was on first following a fielder's choice and she moved into scoring position after
Erica Heller drew a walk. Freshman
Gina Formisano then smacked a double down the left field line and Stoneberg scored the go-ahead run.
Things got tense in the seventh as Kalli Segel was hit by a Stefani pitch to start the inning. Emily Barranca came in a pinch-runner and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After the second out was recorded, Stefani could not pick up a grounder on the potential game-ending play as Barranca moved up to third. Hannah Thompson's then tried a bunt attempt, that was fielder cleanly by
Jessica Ellick at second and her throw to first was in time to give the Aggies the win.
Stefani struck out four in the game and also went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Jess Burns had two hits while Brown and Formisano had the big RBI doubles.
Ponziani permitted just two runs and five hits over six innings. Curcio was 2-for-2 while Mancini was 1-for-3 with the RBI double.
