Delaware Splits Friday Doubleheader at Drexel

Friday, April 14

Philadelpha, Pa.

2:00 PM

University of Delaware

21-15, 11-2

Drexel

8-26, 3-9

Delaware

Drexel

Photo by: Mark Campbell

4/14/2023 5:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Delaware softball team split a doubleheader at Drexel on Friday afternoon to open a three-game CAA series. The Blue Hens cruised to an 8-0 run-rule victory in the first game before dropping a tough 4-3 decision in game two. With the two results, the Blue Hens saw their streaks of eight-straight games overall and 10-consecutive CAA games snapped and they now sit at 21-16 overall and 11-3 in conference play.

Game One: Delaware 8, Drexel 0 (5 innings)
The Blue Hens extended their winning streak to nine games with their seventh shutout of the season. It was also their fourth run-rule victory of the year.

Emily Winburn remained hot in the circle, winning her fifth-consecutive start. She fired 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five.

Kiara Mills and Julz Garber each had two hits and two RBI, while Mills added a pair of runs scored. Grace Rudolph also had a hit and drove in two runs.

The Blue Hens wasted no time in getting on the board as they scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Brittney Mendoza started the two-out rally as she was hit by the first pitch she saw. Mills followed with her second home run of the season well over the fence in left-center field to give UD the 2-0 lead.

The score remained the same until the top of the fourth inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out before Mills and Grace Hrustich both scored when Jayla Brooks reached on an error. After a stolen base, Rudolph delivered a two-run single to make it 6-0 before Garber came up with her own two-run single to make it 8-0.

Winburn was on cruise control as she allowed just three singles and a walk for her 13th win of the season.

Game Two: Drexel 4, Delaware 3
The Blue Hens battled back from an early deficit, out-hitting Drexel 10-4, but eventually saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end.

Mills and Julz Garber each had two more hits, while Hanna Garber had a pair of RBI doubles and Katie Scheivert also singled twice.

Taylor Wroten pitched a complete game, allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out five.

This time it was Drexel that jumped out to an early lead as three UD errors led to three unearned runs for the Dragons.

The Blue Hens began to chip away at the deficit in the third inning as Scheivert led off with an infield single and eventually moved to second on a ground out. Hanna Garber lined an RBI double over the head of the left fielder to make it a 3-1 game.

In the fifth, Scheivert again led off with a single and went to second on a one-out single by Rudolph. Hanna Garber lined her second double of the game into the left-center field gap to score Scheivert, but Rudolph was thrown out at the plate. Julz Garber beat out an infield single as Hanna Garber scampered home to tie the game.

Drexel reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to make it 4-3.

Julz Garber represented the tying run with a two-out single in the seventh, the 100th hit of her career, but the Blue Hens could not pull even.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch in Philadelphia is scheduled for 12 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.