University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
5-9
Norfolk State
7-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| Norfolk State | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
Bats Explode in Big Win Over Norfolk State
3/4/2023 8:36:00 PM | Softball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware softball team powered its way to a split of a pair of games on Saturday at the 2023 Pirate-Spartan Classic. The Blue Hens fell 11-1 to Penn State before using four home runs to defeat Norfolk State 14-5. With the two decisions, Delaware moves to 6-9 on the season.
Game One: Penn State 11, Delaware 1 (6 innings)
Penn State scored two runs in the second and fifth innings before using a seven-run sixth inning to put the game away.
Delaware scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth when Zoey Valentino doubled in Chloe Blantz.
Julz Garber had two of UD's three hits.
Game Two: Delaware 14, Norfolk State 5 (6 innings)
The Blue Hens had 11 hits, including four home runs as they powered past the Spartans.
Katie Scheivert led the UD offense with three hits, and was one of three Blue Hens to hit their first career home runs. Kristen Luzon also hit her first collegiate home run while adding a double and three RBI. Valentino hit a grand slam for her first career homer and finished with five RBI. Kiara Mills also had two hits with her first home run in a Delaware uniform.
Emily Winburn fired a complete game with five strikeouts for the win. She picked up her fourth victory and fifth complete game of the season.
After Norfolk State took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Blue Hens responded quickly with a three-run second. Valentino drove in a run with an RBI ground out before Hanna Garber delivered a two-run single.
The Spartans reclaimed the lead, 5-3, with four runs in the bottom of the second inning, but Valentino put Delaware back on top with a grand slam over the center field fence in the top of the third.
Back-to-back home runs by Mills and Scheivert in the fourth inning extended the lead to 10-5. Mills' blast was a two-run shot that scored Julz Garber for her 100th career RBI. Later that inning, Luzon drove a pinch-hit double into the right-center field gap to score Blantz and make it 11-5.
Jayla Brooks crossed the plate in the fifth inning as she scored when Julz Garber stole second base. In the sixth, Luzon launched a two-run home run to bring the lead to 14-5 and put the run rule into play.
The Blue Hens will return to action on Sunday with a pair of games at the 2023 Pirate-Spartan Classic. They will take on Binghamton at 12:30 p.m. before closing out the weekend against Norfolk State at 3 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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Winburn, Emily (4-4)
L: Lauren Sheehan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Luzon, Kristen 1
HR: Mills, Kiara 1 ; Scheivert, Katie 1 ; Luzon, Kristen 1 ; Valentino, Zoey 1
RBI: Garber, Hanna 2 ; Mills, Kiara 2 ; Scheivert, Katie 1 ; Luzon, Kristen 3 ; Valentino, Zoey 5
Base Running:
RUNS: Garber, Julz 1 ; Mendoza, Brittney 1 ; Mills, Kiara 3 ; Scheivert, Katie 3 ; Blantz, Chloe 3 ; Luzon, Kristen 1 ; Valentino, Zoey 1 ; Brooks, Jayla 1
SB: Garber, Julz 1 ; Scheivert, Katie 1
Batting:
RBI: Alison Guckin 2 ; Gabby Vaughan 1 ; Kenna Higa 1 ; Morgan Johnson 1
SH: Alison Guckin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Imani Moore 2 ; Victoria Ruiz 1 ; Cam Andersen 1 ; Yrral Davis 1
SB: Alison Guckin 1 ; Leah Wisswell 1 ; Victoria Ruiz 1
HBP: Yrral Davis 1
