Sixth Inning Rally Lifts Blue Hens Over Drexel, 13-10, as UD Sweeps Series

Sunday, April 3

Newark, Del.

2:00 PM

University of Delaware

Drexel

Sixth Inning Rally Lifts Blue Hens Over Drexel, 13-10, as UD Sweeps Series

4/3/2016 5:19:00 PM | Softball

By: Delaware Athletics

• Boxscore
• Boxscore (pdf)

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Blue Hen softball team held on for a wild 13-10 victory over Drexel on Sunday afternoon at the UD Softball Stadium.

The Blue Hens, who swept the weekend series, improved to 20-12 overall and 4-2 in the league by extending their winning streak to five games. The Dragons dropped their third in a row, falling to 15-18 overall and 0-6 in conference play.

Drexel took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the sixth, before Delaware exploded for six runs on just three hits while taking advantage of a pair of Dragons errors. Alyshia Dellatore (left) led of with a walk, and after moving to third on a Lisa Stacevicz sacrifice bunt, she scored when Mattie Nuccio reached on an error. Nuccio then scored the tying run on a wild pitch, before Gabby Klecko singled home Hannah George and Leanna Gearhart to give the Blue Hens the lead for good.

After Anna Steinmetz was intentionally walked, Carolyn Szymanski delivered a two-run double to make it a 13-9 game. Drexel scored an unearned run in the seventh and brought the potential tying run to the plate with two outs, but Szymanski struck out Savanna Johnson to seal the victory.

Szymanski, who started the game in the circle for UD, came back in during the fifth inning and picked up her eighth victory of the season.

After Drexel scored a run in the top of the first, the Blue Hens appeared to take control during the bottom half when they pushed across five runs. Gearhart scored the first run on a throwing error, while Mariah Kondravy followed with an RBI single to put Delaware in front. Dellatore added a two-run double later in the frame, and she crossed the plate on a passed ball to give UD the early 5-1 lead.

The Dragons got three runs right back in the top of the second, before George reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half to put the Blue Hens back up a pair. Drexel pulled even with a two-spot in the top of the fourth, but Stacevicz led off the bottom half with a single and eventually scored on a groundout by George to give Delaware a 7-6 lead.

Drexel scored three times in the top of the fifth to take its first lead of the day at 9-7, before the Blue Hens rallied in the bottom of the sixth to go back in front to stay.

Klecko finished 2 for 4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored for UD, while six other Blue Hens added a hit apiece.

Delaware remains home on Wednesday to host Delaware State in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.

Game Notes:
• Delaware's five-game winning streak matches its longest of the season
• The Blue Hens are 9-2 vs. Drexel over the last four years
• Delaware posted its first CAA series sweep since taking three games from UNCW on May 3-4, 2013
• UD tied for its highest run total of the year
• Gearhart stole two bases and now has 25 on the year, setting a UD single season record
• Kondravy recorded the 100th hit of her Blue Hen career and extended her hitting streak to eight
• Szymanski earned her 37th career win, tying her for sixth place in UD history
• Drexel left 11 runners on base while Delaware stranded just two

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)