CLERMONT (Fl.) – The Delaware Valley University softball team opened its 2022 campaign in sunny Clermont, Florida during its spring break trip, but dropped its first two contests of the week to Penn State Brandywine and then to University of Northwestern (Mn.). 

The Aggies took on the 2-1 Nittany Lions to start the season. 

Neither team had a hit through three innings, but Aggie starting pitcher Olivia Monismith was forced to work out of a jam in the bottom of the third as she walked one batter, hit another, and one reached on an error to load the bases with two outs. Monismith got the next batter to ground to short to end the threat and keep it a scoreless affair into the fourth.  

DelVal got its leadoff hitter aboard in the bottom of the fourth as first-year Sierra Ripka worked a walk, but a double play ended any chance of a threat. 

The Nittany Lions got the first hit of the game in the top of the fifth off the bat of Jesse James when she sent one through the right side. On the next pitch she stole second to move into scoring position with one out. After a strikeout, James swiped third, and the next batter, Gianna Casale laced a double to the gap in right center to get Brandywine on the board first and make it 1-0. Leadoff hitter Gianna Terpolilli came up next and sent a single to left field. Cascale tried to score from second but senior Caitlyn Pollock gunned her out at home with a great throw from left field to end the inning. 

The Aggies were held without a hit in the fifth, while the Nittany Lions manufactured another run in the bottom of the frame with a walk, an error, and a fielder's choice to take a 2-0 lead into the sixth. 

Senior Adina Brucie gave DelVal life with its first hit of the game, a double over the center fielder's head, and then advanced to third after a passed ball on the next pitch. With Ripka at the plate and one out, the Aggies attempted a suicide squeeze, but the catcher fielded the ball clean and tagged out Brucie at the plate to keep DelVal off the board. 

The Aggies retired the Nittany Lions in order in the bottom of the sixth and went to the final frame trailing by two. Monismith led off the inning with a hard hit fly ball, but it was right at the right fielder. Bailey Smith followed with a pop out in foul territory, and Emily Merrigan was the final out as she grounded out to second. 

Brucie went 1-for-1 with a walk to pace DelVal in the opener and Monismith allowed one earned run with six strikeouts and four walks in six innings of work. 

For Penn State, Crystal Cassario allowed just one hit and two walks with eight punchouts in seven innings pitched. 

In game two, DelVal was the home team and took on the 2-3 Northwestern University (Mn.) Eagles. 

Northwestern began the top of the first with a pair of bloop hits to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Aggie first-year pitcher Katherine Becket got the next batter to fly out and then earned her first career strikeout on a 3-2 swinging strike. She got the next batter to ground out to the mound to strand the runners and end the threat.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Monismith hit a ball deep to left center field and reached second base standing up for her first hit of the year. First-year Bailey Smith came up next and battled through a nine-pitch at-bat before going down swinging and the game remained scoreless after one. 

The Eagles strung together four singles in the top of the second and the Aggies committed three errors in the field that resulted in four runs scored, two of which were unearned.

DelVal's next opportunity came in the bottom of the third when leadoff hitter Sierra Ripka got her first collegiate hit with a two-out double that caromed off the left fielder's glove. Carly Mahal came up next and fought off a number of pitchers, but went down swinging to keep the game 4-0 in favor of Northwestern, heading to the fourth. 

The Aggies got the first two runners aboard in the fourth as Monismith worked a walk and Smith hit a single down the right field line. The next batter was Emily Merrigan and she delivered her first collegiate hit into right field that plated Monismith from second and made it a 4-1 game. 

DelVal's defense kept the Eagles off the board and generated runners on base again in the bottom of the fifth. Brucie reached on a walk and Ripka followed with a single, then Carly Mahal laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Monismith came up with two outs and picked up her second hit of the game as she hit a hard ground ball through the left side to score Brucie and pull the Aggies within two, 4-2. 

DelVal still trailed by two in the bottom of the seventh when Ripka beat out a grounder to shortstop for her third hit of the game. Mahal laid down a sacrifice bunt and Ripka motored around to third as the tying run came to the plate in Monismith. Monismith hit a ball to shortstop and the Eagles made the play for the final out and the 4-2 victory. 

Ripka went 3-for-4 in the game while Monismith and Merrigan each went 2-for-3. Monismith added a walk, a run scored, and an RBI. After allowing four runs and six hits in the first two frames, Beckett settled into her first collegiate start nicely and finished with two earned runs allowed on nine hits with three strikeouts.