LEESBURG (Fl.) – The Delaware Valley University softball team battled back from a three-run deficit, but could not hold on at the end as Penn State Dubois scored the game-winning run in the seventh inning to take a 4-3 victory during the Aggies' first game of their second day in Florida.
The Nittany Lions got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings thanks to three DelVal (0-3) errors and four hits. Kayleigh Mac drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field and Lizzy Scott drove in an unearned run with an RBI single.
The Aggies bounced back in the third as
Megan Torrey worked a walk and Morgan Fleisher drove her in from first with a double to the gap in right center. Jess Stewart followed suit as she also found the right center gap to bring in Fleisher. The next batter was
Sam Demoy, and she found a soft spot in front of the center fielder for an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 going into the fourth.
DelVal got its first two runners aboard in the bottom of the sixth as Caitlyn Stoner worked a walk and
Sam Demoy followed with a single, but the next three batters were retired and the game went into the seventh still knotted at 3-3.
Dubois capitalized on the Aggies sixth error of the game to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Cierra O'Shea was on second by way of a single and a stolen base, and came around to score after a misplayed ball hit in the infield to make it 4-3.
With one last chance in the bottom of the seventh,
Adina Brucie reached first on an error by the first baseman. She stole second and moved up to third as the pick-off attempt skipped into right field. With the winning run just 60-feet away, the next two batters popped out and grounded out to end the game.
Four different Aggies had a hit led by Demoy's two to go with an RBI. Fleischer and Stewart also drove in runs and came in to score once.
Pollock pitched all seven innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on nine hits and one walk, with three punch outs.
Aspen Bishop led Dubois with three hits and Lizzy Scott had two with an RBI and a run scored.
DelVal will look for revenge over the Nittany Lions when the two teams meet again tomorrow at 3:45. The Aggies will take on Marian University following that contest.
