MADISON (Nj.) – After a 5-1 setback in the opener, the Delaware Valley University softball team made a push at a seventh inning comeback but fell short, as host FDU-Florham University held on for a 6-4 win and the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader sweep.
The Aggies dropped to 3-6 overall and 0-2 in league play while the Devils improved to .500 overall at 4-4 and 2-0 in MAC Freedom play.
Olivia Monismith got the start in the opener and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first. After the leadoff hitter worked a walk, Heather Priante was hit by a pitch and Dana Giardina reached on a single to put three runners on with no outs. Monismith got the next batter to ground back to the pitcher, got a strike out for the second out, and a ground out to second to end the threat.
DelVal made its own push in the top of the second when Monismith worked a lead off walk, Bailey Smith followed with a single, and Yasmine Gonzalez pull one down the left field line to load the bases with nobody out. Ciara Hoffman got the next two Aggies to strikeout looking and Sierra Ripka flew out to center to keep it a scoreless game.
The home team put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the second that resulted in two runs on three hits and an error. Kristina Pelano created the first run with a single and a stolen base and Kristen Tigar drover her in. Priante came up next and singled home Tigar who was at second base after an error. Monismith got the last out via pop up to shortstop to keep it 2-0 going into the third.
DelVal was held without a hit the next two frames while the Devils tacked on two more in the fourth to double its advantage to 4-0. Tigar had an RBI double and scored her second run of the game in the fourth.
Alyssa Gerdy got the Aggies on the board in the fifth as she lead off the inning with a double and came around to score after a Carly Mahal bunt and an error with two outs. Later in the frame, Makenna Cooper legged out an infield single to put runners at the corner and Emily Merrigan sent a shot to the outfield, but the right fielder was there to haul it in and end the inning.
FDU-Florham held DelVal without a baserunner the rest of the way and plated another run in the sixth with an RBI single by Biana Disanto for the 5-1 final.
Five different Aggies had a hit in the opener and Monismith struck out two and walked two with three earned runs allowed.
The Devils got 13 hits from nine different players lead by a 3-for-3 effort by Pellano. Hoffman pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts to just two walks.
Katherine Beckett got the start in the circle for DelVal in game two. She gave up a single to the first batter who eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Rachel Reiter. Beckett got the next two batters to fly out and got a strikeout to end the frame and limit the damage to one run.
In the top of the third, Carly Mahal worked a walk and stole second and third base to start the inning. With one out, Ripka hit a ball to the shortstop and Mahal tried to score but was thrown out at the plate. Ripka advanced to second on the throw. A Caitlyn Pollock single through the left side scored Ripka from second and tied the game at 1-1 going into the bottom of the third.
Tigar got the run right back for the Devils in the bottom of the third as she hit a lead off single back up the middle and came in to score after a sacrifice fly by Reiter. Later in the frame, with runners at first and third, Beckett got Colleen Conway to pop up to the Gonzalez at shortstop and she threw behind the runner at first for a double play to end the inning and keep it a 2-1 game after three.
Gonzales lead off the fourth and reached second base after an error. Cooper successfully bunted her over to put the tying run at third, but the Aggies could not bring her home.
DelVal executed another double play to end the bottom of the fourth inning and headed to the fifth still down by one. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Pollock reached on a hit by pitch and Monismith singled to put runners on first and second. The next batter was Merrigan who hit a hard ball to the shortstop to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tigar got aboard on a walk and came around to score her second run of the game on an RBI single from Centineo as FDU-Florham extended its lead to 3-1 after five.
The Aggies got the run back in the top of the sixth with another two-out rally. Gerdy got it started with a single to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Mahal walked, DelVal executed a double steal to put runners at second and third with two out. Adina Brucie walked to load the bases for Ripka who grounded on to shortstop, but reached on an error and plated Gerdy to make it 3-2. Pollock came up next with the bases still loaded, but a groundout to shortstop ended the inning.
The Devils got the run back and more in the bottom of the sixth with three runs on two hits and an error. DeLoreto, Tigar, and Priante earned the RBI's for FDU-Florham and it took a 6-2 lead into the seventh.
In an effort to comeback, Monismith lead off the seventh with a walk and, two batters later, Gonzalez singled down the left field line to put two on. Cooper came up next and laced a double to the gap in right field to score both runners and make it a 6-4 game with just one out. After a pop-out to first base, Cooper stole third, but the Devils got a strikeout to end the game and secure the doubleheader sweep.
Beckett went the distance with eight hits allowed, four walks, two earned runs and three strikeouts. DelVal got five hits from five different players including Monismith who also worked two walks. Cooper picked up her first two RBI of the season and Mahal was on base twice with two walks.
DiSanto pitched 6.1 innings and allowed six walks, five hits, and three earned runs with three strikeouts. Hoffman earned the save as she got the last two batters out. Tigar went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI. Reiter finished with two RBI.
The Aggies will look to bounce-back with a home, non-conference, double header on Thursday against Marywood beginning at 3 p.m.
