COLLEGEVILLE (PA) – The Delaware Valley University softball team, playing in its first games in six days, bounced back from an 8-1 loss in the opener to defeat host Ursinus College, 3-2, in the second game to earn the non-conference split.
The Aggies moved their overall record to 6-4 while the Bears had an eight-game winning streak snapped as they moved to 8-4.
DelVal fell behind 1-0 in the nightcap as Morgan Comfort led off the bottom of the first with a home run. However, the Aggies did all of their damage in the fourth, starting with a bunt single by
Koraima Dudley.
Jamie Stefani followed with a single through the left side. Dudley then advanced to third on a fly out and tied the game as she headed home on a grounder by Hawk where she eventually reached because of an error. Stefani moved to third on the miscue and scored on a ground out by
Gina Formisano. With two outs,
Julie Burns ripped a single into right-center field and Hawk came around to score for a 3-1 advantage.
Ursinus got one back in the bottom of the fourth with an unearned tally, but the Aggies got out of the inning with a double play. Another double play by DelVal ended the fifth and the game eventually went to the bottom of the seventh with the Aggies clinging to the one-run lead.
Stefani got the first batter out before a Christina Wentz base hit put the tying run on base for the Bears. Stefani then got recorded her lone strikeout of the game as Gabrielle Manto went down looking. That brought up Comfort, but Stefani got her to fly out to center to end the game.
Stefani improved to 5-2 as she allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits. She also went 2-for-3 with a run scored at the plate.
Maddy O'Donohue added two hits in the win.
DelVal hurt itself in the opener as the team committed five errors over the first four innings as Ursinus built a 7-1 lead. The Aggies' lone run came in the top of the fourth as Dudley and Stefani led off with back-to-back singles and Dudley later scored on an RBI single by Hawk.
However, that was all that Ursinus hurler permitted in a five-hit, complete-game win that saw her notch nine strikeouts. Only four of the eight runs allowed by Stefani were earned as she also gave up just five hits. Five different Aggies had one hit in the game, including Hawk who was 1-for-3 with the run batted in.
DelVal is scheduled to host defending Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom champion Manhattanville College for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 24 (1 p.m.).
