photos courtesy of Mark Campbell

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- Amanda Stacevicz fired a four-hit shutout while Michelle Kenney singled home the only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the University of Delaware softball team a 1-0 victory and a doubleheader split with Towson Saturday afternoon at Delaware Field. The Tigers took the opener, 12-0, in five innings.

Delaware is now 18-15 overall and 6-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association following the twinbill split, while the Tigers are 26-15 overall and 9-5 in league play.

Stacevicz (below right) recorded her fourth shutout of the season and third in 11 days as she improved to 8-7 on the season and has now thrown 26 consecutive scoreless innings. The nightcap remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Katie DeSalvo led off with a single into leftfield. DeSalvo then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Nyisztor, and one out later she moved to third when Kim Ovittore beat out an infield single.

Kenney (above right) then drilled a single into leftcenter, driving home DeSalvo with the game’s lone run. Towson had a chance in the top of the seventh after Mindy Bean led off with a single to centerfield, but Stacevicz caught a line drive off the bat of Stef Streets and doubled Bean off first base. Stacevicz then got Lindsey Kent to ground out to third to end the game.

Kenney finished 2 for 3 with the RBI while DeSalvo, Ovittore and Rachel Jones each added one hit for the Blue Hens.

Towson wasted little time in putting away the opener, as Sammi DiPompo doubled home Rachel Miller and then scored on a bases loaded groundout by Kent to put the Tigers ahead 2-0 after the first inning.

Towson added six runs in the second inning on a run-scoring single by Kim Lempa, an RBI double by DiPompo, a two-run single by Bean, and an RBI single by Erika Stasch to take an eight-run advantage. A sacrifice fly by Bean and a two-run homer by Stef Streets in the third made it an 11-0 game, while Bean singled home Stasch in the fourth to conclude the scoring.

Towson starter Shannon Johnston, who also pitched the second game and is now 16-6 on the year, allowed just three hits and a walk in the opener to pick up the victory. Delaware pitcher Anne Marie Pagano dropped to 10-7 after allowing 12 runs, 10 earned, on 12 hits.

DeSalvo recorded a double while Ovittore and Jones added singles for the Blue Hens.

Delaware’s win in the nightcap gave Blue Hen head coach B.J. Ferguson her 599th career victory, as she is one win shy of becoming the 43rd active coach in Division I to reach the 600 win plateau.

Delaware and Towson conclude their three-game series on Sunday with a single game beginning at 12 noon. Blue Hens seniors Katie DeSalvo, Quinn Megargel, Kim Ovittore and Marianne Marinella will be honored in a pregame ceremony.