Chenxi Jiao Fires Shutout as Blue Hens Blank Hartford, 1-0, at Delaware Spring Invitational
March 16, 2013
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Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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NEWARK, Del. -- UD senior righthander Chenxi Jiao fired an eight-hit shutout as the Blue Hen softball team blanked Hartford, 1-0, Saturday morning to kick off the second day of the University of Delaware Spring Invitational.
The Blue Hens, who won their seventh consecutive game, improved to 16-3 on the year and surpassed their win total from the 2012 season. Delaware has posted its longest winning streak since the Blue Hens won eight in a row from March 3-20, 2004. Hartford dropped its second straight contest while falling to 5-11 on the campaign.
Delaware scored the only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning when Jessica Grisler (at left) led off with a single up the middle, and after moving to second with two outs, she scored when a flyball hit by Lisa Stacevicz was dropped by Hawks leftfielder Peyton Fisher.
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After another two shutout innings Jiao allowed a leadoff single to the Hawks’ Sawyer Fried in the bottom of the seventh, and Sawyer moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Erica Phelps. But Jiao (at right) got Fisher to pop out to second and Amber Andrews to fly out to left to end the game, closing out her third career shutout.
Jiao improved to 4-2 on the season after allowing eight hits, all singles, while striking out one and not walking a batter. Hawks pitcher Zuzana Kudernatschova was the hard-luck loser for Hartford, giving up just the unearned run on six hits with six strikeouts while dropping to 3-5 on the year.
Grisler went 2 for 3 with a walk and the run scored for Delaware, while Gabby Klecko also finished 2 for 3 at the plate. Lara Andrews and Tori Conrad also had singles for the Blue Hens.
