University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
Howard
Blue Hen Softball Posts Wins Over Howard and Charleston Southern
2/14/2015 11:47:00 AM | Softball
• Howard Boxscore | Charleston Southern Boxscore
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The University of Delaware softball team posted an 11-6 win over Howard before defeating the host Buccaneers 7-1 as the Blue Hens won a pair of games on the second day of the Charleston Southern Tournament.
Sarah Bencivenga finished 4 for 4 to lead a 13-hit Blue Hen attack during the win over the Bison while Jessica Grisler, Mariah Kondravy, Cailey Isaacs and Heather Oakley all added two hits apiece. Delaware, which improved to 3-1 following the pair of victories, exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning and led the entire way.
Grisler led off the game with a single, and came all the way around to score on an error by Bison rightfielder Briana Banks. Emily Sanchez then tripled and crossed the plate on a Bencivenga single, while Isaacs added a two-run triple before scoring herself on a throwing error by Banks.
Howard (1-3) got a pair of runs back in the bottom half, but Delaware responded by scoring four more times in the third. Leanna Gearhart led off with a walk, and after stealing second, she scored on a single by Bencivenga. Kondravy then laced an RBI double, and after she scored on an Isaacs single, Oakley capped the rally with an RBI single up the middle.
Due to a pair of Blue Hen errors, the Bison needed just one hit to score three times in the bottom of the frame to pull within 9-5. But after each team pushed across a run in the fourth, UD closed the scoring on an infield single by Kondravy in the top of the sixth.
Kennedy Lester earned her first collegiate win after allowing four runs, two earned, on one hit in three innings of work, while Jordan Cargile picked up the save by firing three hitless frames.
Delaware took the early lead against Charleston Southern (5-2) in the top of the first as Grisler led off with a double and eventually scored when Gearhart reached on an error. Grisler then singled home Isaacs in the second, while an RBI single by Carolyn Szymanski in the third made it a 4-0 game.
Szymanski then drove home two more during a three-run sixth inning, before allowing her first run of the year as the Buccaneers avoided the shutout in the bottom of the seventh. Szymanski improved to 2-0 in the circle after allowing one run on five hits and striking out seven, while Grisler finished 4 for 5 at the plate with two runs scored for the Blue Hens.
Delaware wraps up play at the tournament on Sunday with a 1 p.m. game vs. Howard.
AGATE
Delaware....504 101 0 - 11 13 4
Howard......203 100 0 - 6 3 4
UD: Curran, Lester (2), Cargile (5) and Wissinger/Oakley. HU: J. Flynn, Walker (1), A. Flynn (4) and Ly/Brooks. E: Gearhart 2 (UD), Kondravy (UD), Lester (UD), Ballard (HU), Banks 2 (HU), Estes (HU). LOB: UD 5, HU 4. 2B: Bencivenga (UD), Kondravy (UD), Davis (HU), Poindexter (HU); 3B: Sanchez (UD), Isaacs (UD); HBP: Davis (HU); SH: Nuccio (UD), Davis (HU), Flynn (HU); SB: Gearhart (UD), Bencivenga 2 (UD), Kondravy (UD), Isaacs (UD), Poindexter (HU), Ly (HU); CS: Ballard (HU). Win: Lester (1-0). Loss: J. Flynn (0-2). Save: Cargile (1).
Delaware........................112 003 0 - 7 12 0
Charleston Southern.....000 000 1 - 1 5 4
UD: Szymanski and Wissinger. CSU: Gandara, Elkins (7) and Delio. E: Bergmann 3 (CSU), Richardson (CSU). DP: UD 2. LOB: UD 11, CSU 10. 2B: Grisler (UD), Kondravy (UD); HBP: Wissinger (UD), Gandara (CSU); SH: Sanchez (UD), Bencivenga (UD); SB: Isaacs (UD), Bergmann (CU). Win: Szymanski (2-0). Loss: Gandara (3-2).
