University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
Morgan State
Dominant Pitching Leads Blue Hens To Doubleheader Sweep of Morgan State
3/30/2016 10:07:00 PM | Softball
• Game 1 Boxscore
• Game 2 Boxscore
BALTIMORE, Md. -- The University of Delaware softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from Morgan State, 5-2 and 8-0, on Wednesday afternoon at the Coppin State Softball Field.
The Blue Hens (17-12) struck first in the opener during the top of the third inning when Mattie Nuccio led off with a walk, stole second, and scored one out later when Leanna Gearhart singled up the middle. However the Bears (5-20) answered in the bottom half as Damali Young doubled and scored on a squeeze bunt by Kate Vosper.
Delaware went back on top in the fifth when Gabby Klecko singled home Nuccio and then crossed the plate on an RBI single by Mariah Kondravy, before Morgan State pulled within 3-2 in the sixth as Audrianna Alvarez doubled home Young.
The Blue Hens tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh, as Gearhart tripled and then scored on a squeeze bunt by Klecko before Kondravy belted her third home run of the season.
Meanwhile UD pitcher Kiersten Coffman set a school record by striking out 17 batters, as she improved to 11-4 after allowing two runs on four hits in the complete game effort. The senior righthander struck out the side in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings to break the previous record of 15 set by Lindsay Jones against George Mason in 2006.
Kondravy finished 3 for 4 with two RBI at the plate for the Blue Hens, while Gearhart and Nuccio added two hits apiece.
Delaware received another exceptional pitching performance from Carolyn Szymanski (left) during the nightcap, as she struck out 13 batters while walking just one in a one-hit shutout. Szymanski allowed only a two-out single to Alvarez in the bottom of the fourth as she improved to 6-7 on the year.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth, as after the Blue Hens loaded the bases with nobody out, Klecko scored the first run of the frame on a passed ball. Szymanski then hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Kondravy, before Steinmetz scored on a Lisa Stacevicz RBI single.
Gearhart led off the sixth with a home run, and after Szymanski doubled home Kondravy, Stacevicz drove home pinch runner Morgan Schroll to make it a 6-0 game. Klecko then added an RBI single during UD's two-run seventh that closed the scoring.
Klecko posted a team-high three hits during the second victory, while five other Blue Hens chipped in two hits apiece.
Delaware returns home this weekend to host Drexel in a three-game CAA series, beginning with a 12 noon doubleheader on Saturday.
Game Notes:
• Szymanski fired her ninth career shutout during the nightcap
• Kondravy now has 18 career homers, second all-time at UD and five shy of the school mark
• Gearhart and Kondravy are each tied for second on the team with three homers this year
• Seven Blue Hens recorded multiple hits on the day
• UD out-hit Morgan State 24-5 during the doubleheader
• 30 of the Bears' 42 outs on the afternoon came via strikeout
• UD improved to 5-0 vs. Morgan State, with four victories coming over the last two years
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
