University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
Villanova
Blue Hens Drop Pair of Extra-Inning Affairs to Villanova
3/26/2023 7:50:00 PM | Softball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware softball team fell twice on Sunday in a nonconference doubleheader against Villanova at Delaware Softball Stadium. With the two losses, the Blue Hens slip to 12-15 on the season.
Game One: Villanova 5, Delaware 1 (9 innings)
The Blue Hens outhit Villanova 10-6, but could only score the one run as they dropped their first extra-inning game of the year.
Julz Garber and Kiara Mills each had three hits to pace the offense, while Mills was on base four times with a hit-by-pitch. Chloe Blantz also had two hits and an RBI. Emily Winburn fired 8.0-plus innings in the circle with a pair of strikeouts. Taylor Wroten retired all three batters she faced.
After a scoreless first few innings, the Blue Hens broke the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the fourth. With Brittney Mendoza on second and two outs, Blantz line an RBI single into left field that scored Mendoza for a 1-0 lead.
Villanova quickly tied it in the top of the fifth as a leadoff triple and fielder's choice knotted things at 1-1.
The score remained the same into extra innings. The Blue Hens had plenty of chances, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and stranding two more in the eighth inning as they failed to register the big hit to plate the winning run.
The Wildcats scored four runs in the top of the ninth to break things open and take game one.
Game Two: Villanova 5, Delaware 3 (11 innings)
For the second-straight game, the Blue Hens outhit the Wildcats, but left 15 runners on base.
Hanna Garber had three hits, including the 200th of her career to become the sixth player in program history to reach the milestone. Julz Garber had two more hits and two RBI, while Grace Rudolph also had two hits while Kristen Luzon was on base twice.
Wroten was phenomenal in the circle, firing 10.1 innings while allowing just two earned runs. She struck out four while throwing 171 pitches, 104 for strikes.
Sydney Shaffer led off the bottom of the fifth with a pinch-hit single and was replaced by Anaya Troy as a pinch runner. After a sacrifice bunt and single put runners on the corners, Julz Garber hit a ground ball to the shortstop and Troy beat the throw home to give UD a 1-0 lead.
Villanova tied it with a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh and then took the lead with a run in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, singles by Luzon and Blantz and a walk by Valentino loaded the bases with one out. Rudolph lined an RBI single into left to score pinch-runner Erica Paisley to tie the game at two. However, the Blue Hens could not get the winning run home as the game continued.
The automatic runner was instituted in the 10th inning, and Wroten worked around that, an error and walk to strand the bases loaded in the top of the inning.
The Blue Hens were unable to score the winning run in the 10th inning, and Villanova plated three runs in the top of the 11th to go up 5-2.
Julz Garber singled in Rudolph in the bottom of the 11th to bring the tying run to the plate, but a ground out and lineout ended the game.
Delaware will return to CAA play next weekend when it travels to Monmouth for a three-game series. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1 (12 p.m.) before concluding the weekend on Sunday, April 2 (1 p.m.).
For the latest on the Delaware softball program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @Delaware_SB and Instagram @delaware_sb and like "Delaware Softball" on Facebook.
