Delaware Closes Out Regular Season in Weekend Series vs. Drexel; CAA Tournament Berth in Reach
May 3, 2012
• Live Stats
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware softball team closes out its 2012 regular season this weekend when the Blue Hens host Drexel University in a three-game series at the UD Softball Stadium.
The Blue Hens and Dragons will play a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday, with action on both days getting underway at 1 p.m. Saturday’s contest will also be Senior Day, as UD senior outfielder Rachel Jones (at right) will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
Delaware enters the weekend with a 13-38-1 overall record, while Drexel comes in at 21-24. Both teams are tied for fifth place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings with identical 6-11 marks and each are one and a half games behind Towson, which sits at 8-10 in the league, for the fourth and final playoff spot. George Mason, currently seventh with a 6-12 CAA record, is also still alive in the playoff race.
The CAA Tournament will be held on May 9-11 on the campus of Hofstra University, which has clinched the regular season championship. Delaware, which is looking to earn a spot in the conference tournament for the second consecutive year, has won four of its last six CAA games including taking two of three contests last weekend at UNCW.
The Blue Hens are paced offensively by sophomore second baseman Michelle McKinnon, who is batting a team-best .299 with 47 hits, 20 runs scored and 17 RBI. Freshman third baseman Jessica Grisler is hitting .296 with a team-leading 21 runs scored, while tying McKinnon with 47 hits and adding nine doubles. Junior righthander Chenxi Jiao has won six games in the circle and compiled a 3.48 earned run average for Delaware, while classmate Hannah Rust has earned five victories while posting a 4.59 ERA.
Paige Collings leads Drexel with a .345 batting average, 48 hits, 12 doubles, and 41 runs batted in, while Jenn Reading is hitting .339 with 42 hits and 24 runs scored while tying Collings for the team lead with eight home runs. Shelby Taylor is 11-10 with a 3.56 earned run average in the circle for the Dragons, while Hillary Allen is 10-13 with a 3.67 ERA.
Drexel leads the all-time series with Delaware, 37-33-1, although the Blue Hens took two of three games from the Dragons last season in Philadelphia.
Additionally, the UD athletics department would like to wish a happy early Mother’s Day to all moms in attendance on Saturday. All moms will be eligible to win Mother’s Day prizes compliments of Be Truly Well Chiropractic & Day Spa and Town & Country Salon for a day of pampering from the Blue Hens. Also don’t forget to enjoy $1 off hot dog purchases, Blue Hens Bingo and flying t-shirts compliments of First State Orthopaedics during the game on Saturday as well.
