MADISON (Nj.) – The Delaware Valley University softball team took on FDU-Florham in the first two games of the best-of-three play-in series of the 2021 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships and forced a game-three with a split in the doubleheader. The Aggies took game one, 7-6, but the Devils won game two, 3-1.
DelVal got a lead-off single from Adina Brucie to start game one and two-batters later Makenna Cooper got aboard with a base knock of her own. Both runners came around to score and Jessica Stewart picked up an RBI single to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead.
FDU fired right back in the bottom of the first with two runs on two hits to tie the game at 2-2. The first two batters got free passes and Colleen Conway drove one in with an RBI single. After a pair of fielder's choice plays, Nicole Casale tied the game with a single to left.
The Devils took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the second off two hits and an error as Conway picked up her second RBI of the game to make it 3-2. They doubled their lead in the bottom of the third with an unearned run.
In the top of the fourth, Madison McClary reached on an error to start the inning and two batters later Alexis Langenfelder laced a single to center field. With two outs, and the bases loaded, Anastasia Yocum delivered a double to center field that cleared the bases and DelVal regained the lead, 6-4. They maintained the 6-4 lead into the sixth inning when Yocum drove in another run with a sacrifice fly that plated Langenfelder and gave the team some insurance with a 7-4 lead.
Langenfelder, the team's starting pitcher, got the first batter of the sixth inning to ground out, but a single and an RBI double cut the lead to two. Two batters later, with two outs, Kacie Centineo hit a double to drive in another and make it a 7-6 game. Langenfelder got the next batter to fly out to center to end the threat and keep it a one-run game after six.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Devils got runners to first and third with two out but Langenfelder got another fly ball out to end the game and secure the game one victory.
Langenfelder struck out three batters and went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored while Yocum finished with four RBI. Brucie was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Stewart went 1-for-1 with a run batted in.
Olivia Monismith took the ball in game two for DelVal and did not allow a hit through three innings of scoreless ball, but the Aggies were held off the board through four despite three hits.
FDU got on the board in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a pair of doubles that put runners on second and third with two outs. The next batter reached on an error that allowed two runners to score and gave the home team a 2-0 lead. It tacked on one more in the sixth as Conway came around to score again to make it a three-run game.
DelVal made an effort to rally in the top of the seventh as McClary led off with a double to left field and Alexa Jones followed with a single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. The next batter, Caitlyn Pollock delivered a single over the shortstops head to score McClary and pull the Aggies within two. Yocum came up next and looked to add to her big day, but grounded into a fielder's choice. After a strikeout and a wild pitch, DelVal had the tying run at second base and Megan Torrey fought off six pitches before grounding back to the pitcher to end the game.
Monismith pitched a complete game and allowed one earned run while striking out a season-high eight batters and walking just one. Six different players got a hit including Pollock who was on base three times with a single and two walks.
Conway had two hits in each game for the Devils and combined for three RBI. Kaleigh Oplinger earned the win in game two with four strikeouts, three walks, and one earned run allowed.
The series will be decided tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Doylestown with a seven inning contest to determine who advances to the MAC Freedom quarterfinals to take on top-seed Misericordia University.
