DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University softball team honored its three seniors in between games against visiting Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe Eastern University, and when the day was done, the Aggies earned a split against the Eagles. They won game one 4-0, and fell in game two, 4-2.
It was a special afternoon for DelVal softball as it celebrated the careers of Morgan Brown, and two four-year standouts Maddy O'Donohue and Jamie Stefani. Together, the trio has combined for 328 hits since 2016 with Stefani and O'Donohue both ranking in the top-10 in program history with 161 and 118, respectively.
DelVal moved to 9-21 overall and 3-7 in league play while Eastern now sits at 6-24 overall and 1-9.
Today's doubleheader was originally scheduled to take place at Eastern's home field, but due to new construction in St. David's, the game was played in Doylestown with DelVal as the visiting team.
The two teams combined for just three hits through three innings of play and went into the fourth knotted at zero. After Caitlyn Pollock worked a walk to start the frame, Olivia Monismith got a hold of the first pitch she saw and sent it deep to left field and over the fence for her first career homerun and a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles got a runner to third base with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but senior pitcher Jamie Stefani got out of the jam with a ground out and a strikeout to end the threat.
DelVal put up two more runs up in the top of the seventh on two hits and three errors. Faith Sleva drove in a run with an RBI double that made it a 4-0 game. The Aggies retired Eastern with no trouble in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 4-0 win.
Stefani pitched a dominant complete game shutout with six strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed. At the dish, she was walked three times and had a hit to left field that resulted in an error and scored a run. Fellow senior Maddy O'Donohue had a hit in the opener while Monismith and Sleva went 2-for-3. DelVal had eight hits in the game from six different players.
Lexi Evelyn started the game for Eastern and suffered the loss after going four innings with four walks, two earned runs against, and three hits.
Stefani also started game two in the circle, but the Eagles go to her early with four runs on seven hits through the first three innings. Sabrina Thomas had two RBI singles in the spurt and Emily Loomis drove in two with a single to right field that made it 4-0.
The Aggies were held to just three hits through four innings, but broke through in the fifth as O'Donohue got things started with a leadoff bunt-single. Stefani followed with a double to the gap in left center and Sleva picked up an RBI as she moved both runners up a bag on a groundout. The next batter, Caitlin Stoner delivered a single to right field to score Stefani and cut the deficit in half, 4-2. Later in the frame, DelVal had runners at second and third with two outs and Monismith at the dish, but a pop out to shortstop ended the threat for the Eagles.
In the sixth, Adina Brucie worked a walk and stole second to get into scoring position for the two seniors in the lineup O'Donohue and Stefani. Both players hit the ball hard but right at the Eastern fielders to end the inning. The Aggies went down in order in the seventh for the 4-2 final.
The Aggies will have five days off before taking on their next MAC Freedom opponent, Wilkes, on the road on Thursday beginning at 3:00 p.m.
