NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware softball team defeated Drexel, 6-2, in the opener before falling to the Dragons, 5-4 in nine innings, in the nightcap as the teams split a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Delaware Field.

The Blue Hens, who are now 28-17 overall and 7-7 in the conference, struck first in the opener by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. Allison Borchers (right), who finished with four hits on the day and now has 63 on the season, breaking the Delaware single-season hits record of 62 previously held by Lisa Myers in 1995, led off with a walk. After Katie Lee reached on an error and Kim Ovittore fouled out both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Borchers scored when Drexel catcher Molly Dacey’s throw to third was high and went into leftfield.

In the third Borchers led off with a single, and after she moved to second on a walk to Lee, Borchers scored on a single through the left side by Ovittore. After Quinn Megargel was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Lee scored when Michelle Plant reached on a fielder’s choice as Delaware took a 3-0 lead.

The Dragons, who are now 15-25 overall and 5-9 in the league, got a run back in the top of the fifth off Delaware starter Carolynn Sloat. Lena Aiken led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lisa Williams. After Christina Rodriguez popped out, Ashlee Veilleux hit a hard groundball to third. Plant made a backhanded stop but her throw to first sailed over Jessica Kozlowski’s head, allowing Aiken to score.

The Blue Hens then put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and nobody on base, Courtney Kelly laced a double into leftcenter field and Megan Grau walked. Borchers then singled home Kelly, and Lee followed with a two-run triple to rightcenter to make it a 6-1 game. The Dragons added another unearned run in the seventh on an RBI single by Sandi Wambold but would not get closer.

Sloat improved to 16-11 after allowing two unearned runs on eight hits while striking out six, while Veilleux fell to 6-8 after giving up three runs, two earned, on two hits in 2.1 innings of work. Borchers finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and three runs scored for Delaware, while Lee, Ovittore and Kelly had a hit apiece.

The Dragons jumped on top in the nightcap by scoring three runs in the top of the first off Blue Hen starter Lindsay Jones. With one out Rodriguez and Amanda Hastings each singled, and one out later Dacey drove home Rodriguez when she doubled to left. Brianne Brown then doubled to leftcenter, scoring Hastings and Dacey as Drexel took a 3-0 lead.

The Dragons added a run in the third as Rodriguez led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a fielder’s choice by Sandi Wambold, and scored on a single by Dacey.

Delaware responded in the bottom of the fourth, as the Blue Hens scored four runs to tie the game at 4-4. Ovittore led off the frame with a single, and Quinn Megargel followed with a single to put runners on first and second. One out later the runners executed a double steal, and Barbara Traynor followed with a double to leftcenter to score both runners and cut the Drexel lead in half.

Heyser then relieved Dragons starting pitcher Amanda Shattuck in the circle, but a walk to Jenny Gilkins and an error on a groundball hit by Kozlowski loaded the bases. One out later Borchers doubled to right, scoring Traynor and Gilkins to knot the game.

The teams remained tied until the top of the ninth, when with two outs Rodriguez singled to center, moved to second on a single by Hastings, and scored on a single down the rightfield line by Wambold. Delaware loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning on a single by Lee and walks to Ovittore and Megargel, but Shattuck came back into the game to strike out Plant for the second out of the inning. Traynor then laced a pitch down the rightfield line, but Wambold made a diving catch at first base to end the game.

Heyser picked up the win and improved to 5-9 after allowing one unearned run in five innings of work, while Sloat fell to 16-12 despite giving up one run on seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings of relief.

The Blue Hens return home Wednesday when Delaware hosts Bucknell in a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.

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