Softball Hits Five Home Runs to Secure Two Wins on Saturday

Saturday, February 26

Raleigh, N.C.

12:30 PM

University of Delaware

7-5

Bowling Green

6-3

Bowling Green

Delaware

Softball Hits Five Home Runs to Secure Two Wins on Saturday

2/26/2022 9:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Bowling Green Box Score NC State Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – Hanna Garber had six hits over the two games, finishing a hit short of the cycle in each contest, and the University of Delaware softball team hit five home runs on Saturday to win both of its games at the NC State Invitational. The Blue Hens defeated Bowling Green 5-3 in the first game before defeating NC State 12-4 in the nightcap. With the two victories, UD improves to 8-5 on the season.

Game One: Delaware 5, Bowling Green 3

Delaware hit three home runs for the third time in the last four games and Emily Winburn fired 4.0 scoreless innings of relief to lead the Blue Hens to victory.

Garber led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, finishing a double short of the cycle and scored two runs. Brittney Mendoza and Grace Hrustich each also homered while Hrustich drove in two.

Winburn got the win in the circle, firing the final 4.0 innings without allowing a run and striking out six. Kailey Christian got the start and allowed just two runs in 3.0 innings.

The Blue Hens jumped right on the board in the bottom of the first as Garber led off the inning with a triple to center and scored as Brooke Glanded followed that with a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Mendoza launched her first home run of the season over the right-center field fence to make it a 2-0 game.

Delaware doubled its lead in the second inning as Morgan Olynyk led off with a walk and scored when Hrustich hit her second home run of the season to give the Blue Hens a 4-0 lead.

Bowling Green scored three runs off of two UD pitchers in the top of the fourth inning to cut the lead to one, but Winburn came in and struck out the final three batters to keep Delaware in the lead.

Garber led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, her fifth of the season, to provide some insurance. Winburn squashed any chance of a comeback over the final two innings as the Blue Hens came away with the 5-3 victory.

Game Two: Delaware 12, NC State 4

Four players had multi-RBI performances and the Blue Hens ended NC State's nine-game winning streak while picking up their second win of the season over an opponent from a Power Five conference.

Hanna Garber again had three hits to lead the offense, finished a home run shy of the cycle. Brooke Glanden and Halle Kisamore each had three RBI, while Emily Blum and Hrustich each drove in two. Julz Garber scored three runs.

Graceyn Frost picked up the win with 4.0 innings of relief, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five. Winburn started in the circle and went 3.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

NC State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run. The Delaware bats were quiet until the third inning when Julz Garber hit a one-out single and went to second on a wild pitch. She came around to score on an RBI triple by Hanna Garber down the left field line. After an infield single put two runners on base, Kisamore crushed her fourth home run of the season to center field for a three-run shot that gave UD a 4-1 lead.

The Wolfpack scored individual runs in the third and fourth innings to cut Delaware's lead to one. Frost entered the game with nobody out and the bases loaded in the fourth, with the Blue Hens holding a 4-3 lead, and did not surrender another run as she got three quick outs.

The Blue & Gold began to break the game open in the fifth, pushing three runs across. Hanna Garber led off with a double and eventually scored on a Glanden sacrifice fly. Kisamore and Mendoza each got on base to restart the rally and, with two outs, Emily Blum drove them both in with an RBI single to give UD a 7-3 lead.

The first three batters reached in the top of the sixth before Glanden lifted her second sacrifice fly in as many innings to score Chloe Blantz. Mendoza then delivered a two-out RBI single that brought Julz Garber to the late that extended the lead to 9-3.

In the top of the seventh, Blum drew a leadoff walk before Hrustich crushed her second home run of the day, and third of the weekend, to make it 11-3. Julz Garber also walked and eventually came around to score and make it 12-3 when Glanden hit an infield single and the throw was wild.

NC State scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Frost sealed the win with a pair of strikeouts and a pop up.

The Blue Hens will close out the weekend on Sunday when they take on NC State again. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

For the latest on the Delaware softball program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @Delaware_SB and Instagram @Delawaresoftball and like "Delaware Softball" on Facebook.