Blue Hens Drop A Pair of Close Games at Radford Invitational, Falling To Robert Morris, 2-1, and Pittsburgh, 2-0
March 19, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Robert Morris-Delaware Boxscore
• Pittsburgh-Delaware Boxscore
BOTETOURT, Va. -- The University of Delaware softball team could not take advantage of impressive pitching performances by Hannah Rust and Amanda Stacevicz as the Blue Hens fell to Robert Morris, 2-1, and Pittsburgh, 2-0, Saturday afternoon at the Radford Invitational.
Robert Morris (8-11) took the lead during the Blue Hens’ opener by pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. Allie Patton led off with a walk, and after she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Calderone, she scored on a two-out single into left by Britta Grafton.
In the top of the third, Calderone singled to shortstop with one out and Annie Dubovec followed with a double to right center to put runners on second and third. Grafton then singled to right to drive home her second run of the contest, before Rust retired the next two Colonial batters to keep it a 2-0 game.
Delaware (7-15) looked to rally during the bottom of the fourth as Lara Andrews to left center with two outs and Stacevicz followed with a single to right center. However Robert Morris pitcher Alexa Bryson got Gina Knutson to pop out to third to keep the Blue Hens off the board.
UD finally broke through during the bottom of the sixth when Michelle McKinnon singled to left, stole second, and scored on a two-out single to left field by Stacevicz (at right). However Bryson retired Knutson on a groundout to third to end the inning and struck out the side in the seventh as the Colonials hung on for the victory.
Bryson, who allowed one run on six hits while striking out 10 batters, improved to 3-4 on the season. Rust dropped to 0-2 for the Blue Hens despite giving up just two earned runs on five hits. Stacevicz finished with two hits for Delaware while McKinnon, Andrews, Michelle Grap and Bertie Lake each added one.
During the nightcap, the Panthers (16-6) and Blue Hens traded zeros during a pitcher’s duel between Stacevicz and Pittsburgh’s Alyssa O’Connell. The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth inning, when Kelly Hmiel broke the deadlock by drilling a one-out home run. The Panthers added an insurance run in the seventh when Reba Tutt hit an inside the park home run.
Delaware’s lone hit came in the top of the fourth when McKinnon singled up the middle with one out, but she was quickly erased when Andrews grounded into a double play. O’Connell, who faced the minimum 21 batters, then retired the Blue Hens in order during the final three innings to record the shutout.
O’Connell struck out five and did not walk a batter while improving to 6-1 on the season, while Stacevicz fell to 4-5 after giving up two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
Delaware wraps up action at the Radford Invitational on Sunday when the Blue Hens take on the host Highlanders at 1 p.m.
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