Chenxi Jiao Tosses Four-Hit Shutout as Blue Hens Defeat Norfolk State, 2-0, on Second Day of Delaware Spring Invitational
March 17, 2012
• Norfolk State-Delaware Boxscore
• Villanova-Western Michigan Boxscore
• La Salle vs. Western Michigan Boxscore
• La Salle vs. Villanova Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. -- UD junior righthander Chenxi Jiao (at right) tossed a four-hit shutout as the Blue Hen softball team defeated Norfolk State, 2-0, Saturday morning on the second day of the Delaware Spring Invitational.
The Blue Hens, who snapped a 15-game losing streak, improve to 4-20 on the season, while the Spartans fall to 8-8 on the year.
Jiao allowed just two singles and two doubles while striking out seven and walking two as she earned her first victory as a Blue Hen to improve to 1-8 on the season. Norfolk State starter Liz Riley dropped to 3-5 after she gave up two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work, while reliever Jamie Schulle fired 1.1 frames of scoreless relief.
Delaware looked to take the early lead in the bottom of the first when Jess Grisler led off with a single up the middle and Michelle McKinnon was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Lara Andrews moved the runners to second and third with one out, but Riley worked out of trouble by striking out Gina Knutson and getting Alicea Coy to foul out to first.
Neither team could get anything going offensively through the next three innings, before Delaware broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Grisler led off with a double to centerfield and came around to score the first run of the contest when McKinnon followed with an RBI single up the middle. Andrews then legged out a bunt single, and one out later the runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch by Riley. Coy then drilled a flyball into left that was caught by Spartans leftfielder Marjorie Pettitt in foul territory, allowing Andrews to score the second run of the frame.
Norfolk State look to answer back in the top of the sixth when the Spartans loaded the bases with two outs on an Ali Moriarty double, a Whitney Holland walk and a Nikki Jones single, but Jiao snagged a line drive hit by Pettitt to escape the jam. Jiao then retired the Spartans in order during the seventh to complete the shutout.
Grisler led the Blue Hen attack by finishing 3 for 4 with a run scored, while McKinnon was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Later in the day Villanova posted a pair of victories, a 6-4 triumph over Western Michigan and an 8-0 shutout of La Salle. Western Michigan won the third game of the day, blanking the Explorers, 1-0.
The invitational wraps up Sunday with four more games: Western Michigan vs. Norfolk State at 9 a.m., Western Michigan vs. Delaware at 11:15 a.m., Norfolk State vs. La Salle at 1:30 p.m., and Villanova vs. Delaware at 3:45 p.m.
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