DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) -- The Delaware Valley University softball team dropped a home Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader to DeSales University as each team battled harsh weather conditions all day. The Bulldogs used came from behind to take the opener, 6-5, and pulled away with a 10-4 win in the second.
The Aggies (4-9, 0-4 MAC Freedom) got on the board first in the opener when Sierra Ripka led off the bottom of the first inning with her first career home run, a solo shot over the left field fence.
Ripka generated another run for the home team as she led off with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, another pitch got by the catcher and Ripka raced home to make it a 2-0 game after three innings.
Starting pitcher Olivia Monismith allowed just three hits through five frames, but allowed a lead off walk to start the sixth. Later in the inning, after an error with two outs, Abigail Rodriguez sent a double down the left field line and just out of the reach of the third basemen that plated two and tied the game at 2-2 going into the seventh.
The Bulldogs scored four in the seventh thanks in large part to a three-run home run to right field by Kristen Suran that put the visitors on top, 6-2.
The Aggies fought back in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out rally started by Ripka who reached on an error. Caitlyn Pollock followed with a single that scored Ripka after an error and Emily Merrigan worked a walk to put runners at the corner. Monismith came up next and nearly missed tying the game as she sent a high-fly ball to the fence in center field. Pollock and Merrigan came around to score and the Aggies trailed, 6-5, with two outs.
The next batter grounded out and DeSales escaped with the one-run victory.
Monismith finished 3-for-4 at the dish with two RBI and went seven innings in the circle with two strikeouts, eight hits allowed, and six runs - all unearned. Ripka went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, and an RBI.
Three different players recorded multiple-hit games for the Bulldogs and Suran went 1-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. Lawless pitched four innings in relief and earned the win.
DeSales jumped on DelVal in game two with four runs on six hits in the top of the first. Suran highlighted the spurt with a bases-loaded double to deep center field that scored three.
The Aggies got one back in the bottom of the first when Emily Merrigan hit her first career home run over the opposite field fence to make it 4-1 after one.
Suran got the run back for the Bulldogs in the top of the second with her fourth RBI of the game on a single to center field. DeSales made it 6-1 in the fourth and it remained that way into the sixth.
Monismith led off the sixth with a walk for the Aggies and Bailey Smith drove her home with a hard-hit double to right field. The next batter, Alyssa Gerdy, sent a single into left that plated Smith and made it a 6-3 game with one out. After a lineout to short, Gabrielle Landis moved Gerdy to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Carly Mahal made it 6-4 with an RBI single to center. Ripka came up next but went down swinging and the Aggies trailed by two after six.
After a brief weather delay, DeSales tacked on four runs in the top of the seventh to open up a 10-4 lead, and it held the home team without a hit to end the game and secure the win.
The Bulldogs racked up 19 hits in the second game and Suran picked up four RBI. Rachel Lowry went the distance in the circle and allowed seven hits with five strikeouts.
DelVal got seven hits from seven different players. Gerdy, Merrigan, and Smith each had an RBI and a run scored.
The Aggies will look to bounce-back with a non-conference doubleheader at home against Penn State Schuylkill on Tuesday, March 29.
