Blue Hens Extend Win Streak To Four With 6-2 Victory Over Penn
April 27, 2011
File Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. –Gina Knutson drilled her eighth home run of the season while four Blue Hen pitchers combined to allow just two runs as the University of Delaware softball team won its fourth straight game by posting a 6-2 victory over Penn Wednesday afternoon at the Delaware Softball Stadium.
The Blue Hens, whose four-game win streak is a season-high, improved to 18-29 this season and have allowed just seven runs during the stretch. The Quakers dropped to 15-19-1 on the year.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when UD second baseman Michelle McKinnon worked a one-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single up the middle by Lara Andrews. One out later Knutson (at right) drilled a two-run shot over the fence in rightcenter, giving the Blue Hens a three-run lead. Knutson moved into a tie for second place on the UD single season home runs list, while her nine career longballs are tied for fourth in Blue Hen history.
After getting shut down by Delaware pitchers Hannah Rust and Kathleen Conway during the first four innings, the Quakers got on the board in the fifth with two runs off Blue Hen senior Anne Marie Pagano. Kristen Johnson led off with a single to leftfield, and after she advanced to third on a pair of groundouts, she scored on a double down the rightfield line by Elysse Gorney. Stephanie Caso then followed by dropping a single into right, driving home Gorney to make it a 3-2 game.
Penn looked to tie the game in the sixth when Meg Krasne singled up the middle with two outs and Johnson followed with a line drive that got past a diving Andrews and rolled to the centerfield fence. However UD rightfielder Rachel Jones retrieved the ball and fired to shortstop Becky Ellis, who gunned down Krasne at the plate to maintain the one-run advantage.
The Blue Hens then put the game away during the bottom of the sixth, as Michelle Grap walked and Bertie Lake singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. Jenny Richards then doubled to shallow leftcenter to chase home Grap, while two more runs scored when McKinnon reached on an error by Penn second baseman Justine Payne.
Delaware junior Amanda Stacevicz, who entered the circle in the top of the sixth, then allowed two baserunners in the seventh before working out of the jam to earn her first save of the season. Rust gave up just one hit in the first two innings, while Conway (at left) earned her fourth victory of the season after also allowing just one hit in the following two frames. Quakers starter Mikenzie Voves dropped to 9-10 after allowing three earned runs on three hits in three innings of work.
Andrews led the way offensively for Delaware by finishing 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Knutson was 1 for 3 with a run scored and two RBI.
Delaware returns to Colonial Athletic Association action on Saturday with a 12 noon doubleheader at Drexel.
Back To Softball Home Softball Story Archive
