photos courtesy of Mark Campbell

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- The UNC Wilmington softball team scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning in the opener and received a seven-hit shutout from Amanda Davenport in the nightcap as the Seahawks swept a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader from Delaware, 6-4 and 2-0, Saturday afternoon at windy Delaware Field.

The Blue Hens, who dropped to 11-14 overall and 2-5 in the conference, struck first in the opener by scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Shanette White led off with an infield single, but she was forced at second when Amanda Stacevicz reached on a fielder’s choice.

Katie DeSalvo (above right) then beat out an infield single, and Stacevicz went to third on a throwing error by Michelle Harrison. A walk to Quinn Megargel loaded the bases, but Stacevicz was then forced at home when Michelle Grap reached on a fielder’s choice. However Kim Ovittore (below right) followed with a single to leftfield, driving home DeSalvo and Megargel with the first two runs of the game. Grap then crossed the plate when Seahawks leftfielder Ashley Shingleton dropped a flyball hit by Michelle Kenney.

However the Seahawks, who improved to 6-22 overall and 4-4 in the conference, got two runs back in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer to left by Rachel Sawyer and took the lead by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh. Carley Hughes, who went 4 for 4 in the game, led off with a double to rightcenter and pinch runner Brittany Pierce advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sawyer.

Allison Lanouette then doubled to rightfield to drive home Pierce with the tying run, and after Harrison walked, Morgan Walters doubled to left to score Lanouette with the go-ahead run. Logan Shapiro followed with a two-run single to right to put the Seahawks ahead 6-3.

The Blue Hens mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as DeSalvo tripled to rightfield with one out and Megargel walked. DeSalvo then scored on a sacrifice fly by Grap, but after Ovittore drew a walk, UNC Wilmington pitcher Amanda Aditays got Kenney to pop out to shortstop to end the game.

Aditays improved to 2-8 after allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits for the Seahawks. Stacevicz, who dropped to 4-7, gave up six earned runs on 11 hits while posting six strikeouts.

DeSalvo finished 3 for 4 with a run scored for the Blue Hens, while Ovittore was 1 for 3 with two runs batted in.

UNC Wilmington scored a run in the top of the first during the nightcap when Jessie Gunter led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shingleton, went to third on a groundout by Hughes, and scored on a wild pitch.

The Seahawks added a run in the fourth as after Lanouette worked a one out walk and stole second, pinch runner Brianna Lofton scored on a double to centerfield by Harrison.

The Blue Hens rallied in the bottom of the seventh, as Cecile Egan led off with a single and White reached on an error by Seahawks pitcher Amanda Davenport. Egan was then picked off second base, but Rachel Jones followed with a double to leftcenter to put runners on second and third with one out. However White was tagged out at third when Caitlin Smith reached on a fielder’s choice, and Davenport got DeSalvo to pop out to second to end the game.

Davenport recorded her third shutout of the season after allowing seven hits and striking out one while not walking a batter. Pagano fell to 7-6 for Delaware as she gave up two earned runs on seven hits while posting three strikeouts.

Grap and Jones each went 2 for 3 for the Blue Hens, while DeSalvo, Megargel and Egan added a hit apiece.

UNC Wilmington and Delaware conclude their weekend series on Sunday with a single game beginning at 12 noon at Delaware Field.