University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Host Elon in Final Weekend Looking To Qualify For CAA Tournament
5/5/2016 12:11:00 PM | Softball
• Live Stats
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware softball team closes out its 2016 regular season with a three-game series this weekend against Elon looking to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
The Blue Hens are scheduled to play a single game against the Phoenix on Friday at 3 p.m. at the UD Softball Stadium, prior to Saturday's 12 noon doubleheader. A Senior Day ceremony will take place prior to the first game on Saturday, as UD seniors Kiersten Coffman, Hannah George, Shelby Jones, Gabby Klecko, Kelly Lupton and Lisa Stacevicz will be honored before playing their final home games.
Delaware enters the critical series with a 29-19 overall record, and the Blue Hens are tied for fourth place in the CAA standings with a 9-9 league mark. Elon is 26-23 overall, and is tied for second place in the conference along with Towson with a 9-8 conference record. UNCW and Hofstra are both 8-8 in the league to sit tied for fourth place along with UD, while Charleston is just a half game back at 8-9.
The top five teams advance to the CAA Tournament, which will be held May 10-13 on the campus of regular season champion James Madison. The Blue Hens will be looking to qualify for the conference playoffs for the first time since the 2013 season.
Delaware, which had its game on Wednesday at Lehigh rained out, is coming off a series loss at Towson last weekend. The Blue Hens' lone win was a 4-3 nine-inning victory on Saturday, when Alyshia Dellatore drilled her first career homer in extra innings. Mariah Kondravy continues to lead UD with a .381 batting average, 59 hits, 14 doubles and 41 RBI, while Leanna Gearhart is leading the conference with 51 runs scored, eight triples and 42 stolen bases.
Anna Steinmetz, who hit two homers during the Towson series, ranks second in the CAA with 13 longballs, while Coffman is 18-7 with a 2.98 earned run average.
Elon centerfielder Kara Shutt has paced the Phoenix offense all season, as she currently leads the league with 68 hits and 21 doubles while ranking second with a .410 batting average. Emily Roper is hitting .326 with a team-leading 31 RBI for Elon, while Alaina Hall is batting .318 with 44 hits and six steals.
Four pitchers have made at least 19 appearances in the circle for the Phoenix, as Elise Walton is 7-6 with a 2.60 ERA while Kayla Caruso has won a team-high nine games.
Delaware leads the all-time series with Elon, 5-4, although the Phoenix took two of three games from the Blue Hens last year in its inaugural season in the conference.
