photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- Michelle Grap and Kim Ovittore each recorded run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fifth while Amanda Stacevicz (at right) threw five scoreless innings of relief as the University of Delaware softball team defeated Binghamton, 4-2, Thursday afternoon at Delaware Field.

Delaware, which improved to 15-14 on the season, has now won four straight games and is over the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Bearcats dropped to 5-23 on the year.

Binghamton rallied in the top of the first inning as Sandy Meadows led off with a single, and after she went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Michelle Olivieri, she advanced to third on a single to leftfield by Shannon McLeese. After McLeese stole second, Stephanie DeLuca reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases, and Meadows scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left by Meghan Tucker.

The Bearcats took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as Kelly Schuldt walked with one out, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Meadows, and scored on an RBI single to centerfield by Olivieri.

The Blue Hens would answer in the bottom of the third when Amanda Nyisztor singled to rightfield with one out and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Grap. Nyisztor then scored when Kim Ovittore reached on an error by Binghamton third baseman Colleen Whitaker, while Ovittore crossed the plate when Michelle Kenney followed with a single up the middle.

The game remained deadlocked at 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth, when Delaware scored two runs to take the lead for good. After Samantha Pettie and Megargel each walked to open the inning, the runners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Nyisztor. Grap then singled into left to drive home Pettie, and after Megargel was picked off third base, Ovittore singled to leftcenter to drive home Grap with the Blue Hens’ fourth run of the game.

Stacevicz then allowed just one hit in the final two innings to seal the victory and improve to 6-7 on the year. She gave up only four hits while striking out three batters in the final five innings, while starter Anne Marie Pagano gave up two earned runs on three hits in the first two innings. Binghamton pitcher Cyrilla Suker fell to 2-10 after she allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Nyisztor finished 2 for 2 with a run scored for the Blue Hens, while Kenney was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Delaware returns to Colonial Athletic Association action on Friday when the Blue Hens travel to Philadelphia for a 3 p.m. doubleheader with Drexel.