Softball Earns First Ever Win Over Nationally Ranked Opponent in Double Header Sweep of Georgia Southern, Michigan

Friday, February 7

Tampa, Fla.

9 AM

University of Delaware

1-2

Georgia Southern

0-1

Georgia Southern

Delaware

Photo by: Michael Riccio

Softball Earns First Ever Win Over Nationally Ranked Opponent in Double Header Sweep of Georgia Southern, Michigan

2/7/2025 9:32:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

TAMPA, Fla. - University of Delaware softball won its first two games of the season on Friday, highlighted by the first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent by defeating Michigan 8-2. Delaware also defeated Georgia Southern in the first game of the day.

Michigan is ranked No. 20 by D1Softball, 22 by USA Softball, and 23 by Softball America.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS VS GEORGIA SOUTHERN

Morgan Hess and Gianna Costaro both hit their first home runs of the year and both drew a walk.
Sydney Shaffer went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
Marlayna Capaldi went 2-for-2 with an RBI double.
Katie Scheivert and Mary Beth Cahalan went 1-for-3.
Billie Kerwood earned her first win as a Blue Hen by pitching 5.2 innings and allowed three hits, one unearned run, zero walks, and nine strikeouts.
Hess pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS VS MICHIGAN

Shaffer went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a double, and a run scored.
Cahalan went 3-for-4 with an RBI, double, and a run scored.
Scheivert went 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Hess went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Chloe Blantz went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored.
Costaro scored two runs.
Kerwood earned the win by pitching 4.2 innings and allowed one unearned run.
Hess pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS GEORGIA SOUTHERN

Kerwood four of the first seven hitters she faced and allowed just one baserunner in the first two innings.
Hess led off the second with a home run, and two batters later Costaro hit a home run to put Delaware up 2-0. Shaffer walked and Capaldi doubled her in to put UD ahead 3-0.
Kerwood pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the third with a strikeout. After Cahalan singled and Hess and Costaro walked, Shaffer singled in a run to put Delaware up 4-0.
Kerwood pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning and struck out three in a scoreless fifth.
Georgia Southern scratched a run across in the sixth, but Hess stranded the bases loaded.
Hess closed the game out with a 1-2-3 seventh.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS MICHIGAN

Delaware erupted for five runs in the opening inning. Scheivert and Costaro were hit by pitches and Cahalan singled to load the bases. The Blue Hens scored runs on a passed ball, a two-run double by Shaffer, an RBI double by Blantz, and a fielder's choice by Ellie Talley.
Michigan got a run back but Hess got the final two outs of the inning to strand two runners aboard. She then pitched a 1-2-3 second inning with two groundouts.
With two runners on in the third and one out, Kerwood came in and escaped trouble with a strikeout and groundout.
UD tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the fourth. Scheivert led off the inning with a double and Costaro walked. Hess and Shaffer both had RBI singles to bring them home and put Delaware ahead 7-1. Kerwood left the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning.
Delaware manufactured a run with two outs in the fifth after Cahalan doubled home Sheivert to give the Blue Hens an 8-1 lead.
Michigan put the first two runners on base in the fifth, but a double play turned by Talley and a flyout ended the threat. Michigan loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but Kerwood retired the next two for a scoreless inning.
Michigan put the first two runners on and scored an unearned run to begin the seventh, but Kerwood shut the door by retiring the next three to earn the win.

GAMES NOTES

Delaware's win over Michigan was its first ever in program history over a ranked opponent in any outlet.
Delaware also earned their seventh overall win against the Big Ten Conference, including its first over Michigan. The two programs faced each other on Feb. 10, 2017, a 7-0 loss also in Tampa, Fla.
Kerwood has allowed just three earned runs in 17.1 innings for a 1.21 ERA to begin her UD career.
Capaldi's two hits and RBI against Georgia Southern were the first two hits and RBI in her collegiate career.
Scheivert has a hit in all four games to begin the season.
Hess' home run was the 35th of her career.
Costaro's home run was the eighth of her career.

UP NEXT
Delaware plays consensus top-three team Florida tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. to finish out the USF Rawlings Invitational.

TICKETS
Delaware Softball will celebrate its 50th season as a program during the 2025 season, as presented by Delaware State Parks. Season and single game tickets for the 2025 season are on sale now. The upcoming season will feature cutting-edge renovations, including a state-of-the-art Daktronics videoboard, turf playing surface, LED lighting, and more. Season tickets are now 50% off the single-game rate—just $94 for access to the entire season with general admission seating.

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