Blue Hens Split with Penn State in Home Opener

Friday, March 11

Newark, Del.

12:00 PM

University of Delaware

12-7

Penn State

10-10

Penn State

Delaware

Photo by: Mark Campbell

3/11/2022 10:02:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score Photo Gallery

NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware softball team played its first home games of the season on Friday, splitting a doubleheader with Penn State as part of the Blue Hen Invitational. The Nittany Lions took the opening game with a 1-0 win, while the Blue Hens responded with a 6-4 victory in the second contest. With the split, UD moves to 13-7 on the season, while Penn State sits at 10-11.

Game One: Penn State 1, Delaware 0
The Blue & Gold dropped a pitcher's duel that saw just seven combined hits.

Emily Winburn fired her second-consecutive complete game, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four. Four different Blue Hens recorded singles.

It was a scoreless game until the top of the fourth inning when Penn State took a 1-0 lead on a leadoff solo home run, its first hit of the game.

Delaware's best chance came in the bottom of the third when UD loaded the bases with two outs. However, Halle Kisamore's fly ball to center was caught just shy of the warning track.

The Blue Hens just managed two more singles the rest of the way as they were unable to knot the score.

Game Two: Delaware 6, Penn State 4
The Blue Hens hit four doubles and Brooke Glanden drove in four runs to surpass 100 career RBI as UD earned the split.

Glanden had two hits with a home run and a double and the four RBI, while Kisamore had two doubles and also drove in two runs. Emily Blum also had two hits while Brittney Mendoza was on base three times with a hit and two walks.

Graceyn Frost earned the win in the circle with 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out five. Winburn came on in relief and earned her second save of the season as she recorded the final four outs, three by strikeout.

The Nittany Lions jumped on the board with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, but the UD offense responded right away in the bottom half of the inning. Hanna Garber led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. She crossed the plate to tie the game when Kisamore lined her first double of the game just inside the right field line.

Delaware pushed ahead with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Singles by Blum and Chloe Blantz and a Garber walk loaded the bases with two outs. Glanden cleared the bases with a three-run double into the left-center field gap before Kisamore followed with her second double in as many innings, scoring Glanden to give UD a 5-1 lead.

Penn State scored an unearned run in the third and two more in the sixth to cut the lead to one, but Winburn stranded the tying run in scoring position with a strikeout to end the top of the sixth inning.

Glanden provided insurance as she led off the bottom of the sixth with her seventh home run of the season, a shot over the fence in right-center field to make it a 6-4 game.

Winburn struck out two more batters in the seventh to close out the victory.

Due to inclement weather in the forecast and expected poor field conditions, Delaware's Sunday doubleheader against Canisius has been canceled. The Blue Hens will return to the field on Wednesday when they host Mount St. Mary's in a doubleheader at Delaware Softball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 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.