University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
College of Charleston
Blue Hens Eliminated From CAA Championship With 6-4 Loss To Charleston
5/12/2016 8:14:00 PM | Softball
• Boxscore (pdf)
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Sara Garcia belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning as the College of Charleston softball team defeated the University of Delaware, 6-4, Thursday at JMU's Veterans Memorial Park.
The Cougars, who improved to 35-22 on the year, advance to another elimination game Thursday against Towson at 9 a.m. The Blue Hens, who won a game in the conference tournament for the first time since the 2004 season, end their season with a 30-21 record.
After the teams were scoreless through two innings, Leanna Gearhart put the Blue Hens on the board in the top of the third when she drilled a pitch over the rightfield fence for her fourth homer of the season. After Mattie Nuccio tripled down the rightfield line, she crossed the plate on an RBI single to left by Mariah Kondravy as Delaware went in front 2-0.
Charleston immediately pulled even in the bottom of the frame on a two-run homer by Kelly Sinclair, and the Cougars look to take the lead when they loaded the bases with two away, but Blue Hen centerfielder Hannah George made a running catch at the wall on a flyball hit by Dana Horgan to keep the game tied at 2-2.
Charleston then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth by pushing across a pair of unearned runs, as Sara Garcia drilled a two-run triple to rightcenter. The Cougars loaded the bases later in the frame, but Kiersten Coffman replaced Carolyn Szymanski in the circle and struck out Carly Hansis looking to limit the damage.
With Gearhart on second and two outs in the fifth, Valerie Cassell replaced starter Sydney Shipley in the circle for the Cougars, but the first batter she faced was Kondravy, who crushed a pitch off the scoreboard in rightfield to pull the Blue Hens even at 4-4.
However Rebecca Mueller led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk before Garcia belted a two-run homer to center as Charleston took the lead for good.
The Blue Hens brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh when Gearhart was hit by a pitch with two outs, but Nuccio grounded out to second to end the game.
Cassell improved to 8-1 for Charleston after allowing one run in 2.1 innings of relief, while Coffman dropped to 18-8 after giving up two runs in 2.1 frames.
Kondravy ended her stellar sophomore campaign by going 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBI, while Gearhart and Nuccio added a hit apiece.
Game Notes:
• The Blue Hens' 30 wins this year are tied for the fifth most in a UD single season
• Two of Gearhart's four homers this season came against Charleston
• Nuccio's triple was the first of her career
• Kondravy ended her season with 46 RBI, second most in a single season (she had a school-record 55 last year)
• Kondravy now has 20 career homers, three shy of the Blue Hen record
• Charleston won three of four games from Delaware this season
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
