photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The University of Delaware softball team continued its dominance of La Salle by sweeping a doubleheader from the Explorers, 6-1 and 5-4, Thursday afternoon at the La Salle Softball Field.

Delaware, which improved to 11-12 on the season, has now won 18 of the last 20 meetings with the Explorers dating back to the 1999 season. The Blue Hens struck first in the opener as Quinn Megargel led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a two-out double down the leftfield line by Kim Ovittore (below right).

La Salle, which dropped to 3-16 on the year and has now lost seven straight, tied the game in the bottom of the third when Gina Massaro drilled a solo homer to left.

Delaware regained the lead for good in the fifth, as Megargel led off with a bunt single and two outs later Ovittore slammed a two-run homer to leftcenter. The longball was the 10th of Ovittore’s career, putting her in sole possession of second place on the Blue Hen career home runs list. Laura Streets (2001-04) holds the UD career home run record with 16 round-trippers.

Amanda Stacevicz (above right) led off the top of the seventh with a home run to centerfield, her first career longball. Megargel then singled up the middle, and Amanda Nyisztor followed with a single to left. One out later Ovittore singled to left to load the bases, and Megargel scored when Michelle Kenney followed with a sacrifice fly to right. Mary Ann Magee then singled to leftfield, driving home Nyisztor to put the Blue Hens up five.

Stacevicz, who improved to 4-6 on the year, allowed one run on seven hits while striking out six Explorers. Massaro took the loss for the Explorers and fell to 1-6 after she gave up six earned runs on 11 hits.

Megargel finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored to lead Delaware, while Ovittore was 3 for 3 with three RBI and a run scored and Shanette White went 2 for 3 with a double.

The Blue Hens again took the early lead in the nightcap, as Michelle Grap walked with two outs in the top of the first and came around to score on a double to rightcenter by Ovittore.

Erica Vile led off the bottom of the second with a single for the Explorers, and she advanced to third on a double down the leftfield line by Shannon Skomorucha. UD starter Anne Marie Pagano then struck out DJ Guinn, and Vile was thrown out at the plate by Grap on a groundball hit to third by Laura Gallagher. However Pagano then walked Alicia De La Rosa to load the bases, and Skomorucha crossed the plate when Ali Shepherd worked a base on balls.

The Blue Hens regained the lead in the top of the third when Megargel belted a solo home run to left, her first of the season and sixth of her career, but a two-run homer by Vile in the bottom of the frame gave La Salle a 3-2 advantage.

However Delaware went right back ahead in the top of the fourth, as Caitlin Smith led off with a single to left and Rachel Jones followed with a two-run homer to center, her first career home run. The Blue Hens added an unearned run in the fifth as Grap led off by reaching on an error by Shepherd at shortstop, stole second, and crossed the plate on two passed balls by Skomorucha.

The Explorers got a run back in the bottom of the seventh when Guinn led off with a home run down the leftfield line, and Stacevicz then relieved Pagano in the circle for the Blue Hens. Stacevicz then retired the next three La Salle batters to earn her second career save.

Pagano improved to 7-5 after allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven batters in six innings of work, while Guinn dropped to 2-6 for La Salle as she gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits.

Ovittore went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Blue Hens, while Jones finished 2 for 3 with two runs batted in and a run scored.

Delaware returns to Colonial Athletic Association action this weekend when the Blue Hens host UNC Wilmington in a three-game series. The Blue Hens and Seahawks will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, with action on both days beginning at 12 noon.