Blue Hens Defeat Rider, 4-1 in Five Innings, During Rain-Shortened Contest
April 13, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware softball team scored in each of the first three frames and posted a 4-1 victory in five innings as the Blue Hens defeated Rider in a rain-shortened game Wednesday afternoon at soggy Delaware Softball Stadium.
The Blue Hens and Broncs were scheduled to play a doubleheader, but the second game was cancelled due to rain.
Delaware, which won its third straight game while improving to 14-25 on the season, quickly loaded the bases during the bottom of the first when Jenny Richards (at right) singled to rightfield, Michelle McKinnon was hit by a pitch, and Lara Andrews walked. Rider pitcher Rachael Matreale then retired the next two batters, but she followed with a wild pitch that allowed McKinnon to score the first run of the game.
Michelle Grap led off the bottom of the second with a walk, and two outs later, she scored when Richards drilled a triple to centerfield. Richards then crossed the plate on the play when the throw to third by Broncs shortstop Jen Steward sailed into the Blue Hen dugout.
Andrews opened the bottom of the third with a walk, and pinch runner Samantha Pettie came around to score when Amanda Stacevicz followed with a double to the leftfield fence.
Rider, which fell to 6-23 on the year, got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. With one out Alyssa Paul legged out an infield single, and Lucy Higgins then reached on an error by Blue Hen pitcher Anne Marie Pagano. Following a sacrifice bunt by Samantha Mayer and a walk to Ally Coryell, Lucy Blanton worked a base on balls to force home Paul. However Pagano regrouped to retire Jen Steward on a flyout to centerfield to escape further damage.
Delaware then went scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, and after Pagano worked out of a fifth-inning jam, the game was called due to rain.
Pagano improved to 4-4 after allowing just one unearned run on four hits in five innings, while Matreale fell to 3-14 for the Broncs after giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits in four innings of work.
Richards went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Blue Hens, while Stacevicz had the other Delaware hit.
The Blue Hens return to Colonial Athletic Association play on Saturday when Delaware takes on Georgia State in a 12 noon doubleheader in Atlanta.
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