Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- University of Delaware softball head coach B.J. Ferguson became the 43rd active Division I head coach to reach the 600-win mark as the Blue Hens swept a doubleheader from Army, 3-1 and 7-6 in eight innings, Wednesday afternoon at Delaware Field.

Ferguson, who is currently in her 29th season as the head coach of the Blue Hens, improved her career record to 601-551-7. Delaware improved to 20-16 on the season as Ferguson has now guided the Blue Hens to 11 20-win seasons in the last 13 years.

Army, which fell to 20-31 on the year, struck first in the opener when Erin McClain led off the top of second inning with a solo home run to centerfield.

Delaware would answer in the bottom of the fourth, as Quinn Megargel led off with a walk and scored when Michelle Grap followed with a double to leftcenter. One out later Michelle Kenney ripped a single down the leftfield line, driving home Grap to put the Blue Hens in front.

Army had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fifth when the Black Knights had runners on the corners with one out, but UD pitcher Amanda Stacevicz got Jessica Garcia to foul out and Megargel picked Chava Bobb off third base to end the inning. Delaware tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth as Abbie Surosky led off with an infield single, went to second on a Shanette White single, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Nyisztor, and scored on an RBI groundout by Katie DeSalvo.

Stacevicz then retired the side in order in the final two innings to improve to 9-8 on the season. Stacevicz allowed just one earned run on seven hits while striking out four Black Knights and not walking a batter. Army pitcher Shawna Bleyl dropped to 7-10 after she gave up three earned runs on six hits while posting two strikeouts.

Grap led the Blue Hen attack by going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored in the opener.

Army again opened the scoring in the nightcap by pushing across an unearned run in the top of the first inning. With one out Natalia Gruenbaum reached on an error by Surosky in rightfield, and one out later she scored on a single to left by Angela Deger.

The Blue Hens quickly answered, as singles by Nyisztor and Grap were followed by a walk to Kim Ovittore that loaded the bases with one out. Nyisztor then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Kenney, while Grap crossed the plate when Rachel Jones (at right) followed with a single to right. White then doubled to leftcenter to plate Ovittore, but Jones was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Black Knights would come right back, as a walk to Bobb and singles by Sarah Yates and Reanna Johnson loaded the bases with one out. Gruenbaum then doubled to center to drive home two runs, and Alexis AuBuchon followed with a two-run double to put Army ahead, 5-3.

However Megargel cut the Blue Hens’ deficit to one by drilling a solo homer to left in the bottom of the frame. The longball was the ninth of the season for Megargel, pulling her into a tie for third place on the UD career home runs list.

Ovittore led off the bottom of third with a double to leftcenter, and after she went to third on a single to right by Kenney, Jessi Muckelroy replaced Beverly Nordin in the circle for Army. However Jones greeted Muckelroy by lacing her first pitch into the rightfield corner for a two-run triple that put Delaware back in front, 6-5.

The game would then settle down, as the Blue Hens maintained their one-run lead into the top of the sixth. Yates led off the inning with a single to center, and after she went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Johnson, she scored on a two-out single to rightfield by AuBuchon.

The game remained knotted at 6-6 until the bottom of the eighth inning, when White led off with a double off the fence in rightcenter. One out later Stacevicz singled to center, and White crossed the plate when the ball got through Yates in centerfield.

Blue Hen pitcher Anne Marie Pagano improved to 11-7 after allowing six runs, five earned, on 10 hits, while Muckelroy fell to 10-13 after she gave up one unearned run on five hits in 5.1 innings of relief.

Jones finished 3 for 4 with three RBI for the Blue Hens, who had all nine starters record at least one hit. White was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Nyisztor went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Delaware returns to Colonial Athletic Association action on Saturday with a 12 noon doubleheader at George Mason.