Blue Hens Edge UNC Wilmington, 3-2, To Complete Weekend Series Sweep
April 23, 2011
File Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. –Rachel Jones was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Blue Hens in front for good as Delaware posted a 3-2 victory over UNC Wilmington Saturday afternoon at the Delaware Softball Stadium.
The Blue Hens, who also recorded two one-run victories over the Seahawks during a twinbill sweep on Friday, improved to 17-29 overall and 7-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association while posting their first three-game sweep of a conference opponent since UNC Wilmington on April 6-7, 2007. The Seahawks, who have now lost six consecutive league games by one run, dropped to 11-39 overall and 3-12 in CAA play.
UNC Wilmington wasted little time in taking the lead on Saturday, as Caitlin Cavarra led off with a walk and Brittany Pierce followed with a single to centerfield. Ashley Shingleton then dropped down a bunt, but the throw to first by Blue Hen pitcher Amanda Stacevicz hit her in the back, allowing Cavarra to score and move Pierce to third. However Stacevicz struck out the next two Seahawk batters and got Daniela Torres to ground out to shortstop to limit the damage.
Delaware, which currently sits in fourth place in the conference standings with two regular season weekends remaining, answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the first. Jenny Richards led off with a double to rightcenter, and after she stole third, Michelle McKinnon walked and immediately stole second. Lara Andrews then delivered an RBI single up the middle to chase home Richards, while McKinnon crossed the plate when Jones (at right) legged out a two-out infield single.
The Blue Hens maintained their one-run cushion until the top of the fifth inning when Pierce led off with an infield single, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Shingleton. The Seahawks looked to take the lead two batters later when Katie Houmard lofted a flyball to rightfield, but Jones gunned down Shingleton at the plate to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
Delaware then immediately rallied back as a walk to Andrews, a single up the middle by Stacevicz, and a single to right by Gina Knutson quickly loaded the bases. Jones was then hit by a pitch to force home Andrews, before Amanda Aditays took over for UNCW starter Samme Lisowsky and worked out of further trouble.
Anne Marie Pagano replaced Stacevicz for the Blue Hens during the top of the sixth, but quickly found herself in a jam as a pair of errors by UD third baseman Michelle Grap put Seahawk runners on second and third with nobody out. Candice Faircloth then hit a groundball to second, but McKinnon fired to the plate to cut down Torres for the first out of the frame. Pagano then retired Nicole Tuttle on a groundout to second and Cavarra on a groundball back to the circle to maintain UD’s one-run advantage.
Pagano then set down the Seahawks in order during the seventh, earning her second save in as many days. Stacevicz (at left), who was charged with two runs, one earned, on seven hits in five innings, picked up the win and moved to 10-8 on the season. Lisowsky allowed three earned runs on five hits and walked six batters in four innings of work to fall to 2-15 this year.
Delaware remains home on Wednesday when the Blue Hens host Penn in a single game beginning at 4 p.m. at the Delaware Softball Stadium.
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