?
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Delaware State University softball team notched its first ever win against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) school with a 5-3 victory over Virginia in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. Virginia won the first contest 2-0.
DSU opened the game two scoring when Waters (Anchorage, Alaska) reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Erica Cipolloni with one out in the first inning.? Waters advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI single to right field from freshman Ashley Davis (Seattle, Wash.).
The game was tied 1-1 when the Hornets took the lead for good in the fifth inning.?Junior Leslie Pleasanton (Smyrna, Del.) led off the frame with a single to right field.? Senior Allison Ruben (Glen Burnie, Md.) came in as a pinch runner for Pleasanton and made her way around the bases on a groundout by junior Chelsea Stern (Wings, Md.), a sacrifice bunt from junior Jordan Reid (Accokeek, Md.) and single to center field from Waters.? Fellow junior Rachel Carroll (Oxnard, Calif.) also scored on Waters' single after reaching base on a hit by pitch.
The Cavaliers responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to cut DSU's lead to 3-2.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, the Lady Hornets posted two more runs to take a 5-2 lead. Beighley ?(Los Angeles, Calif.) got the hits started for DSU with a double to left field.? Pleasanton came up next with an RBI single to left field and advanced to second on the throw.
Mitchell continued to walk the next three batters in junior Tawny Reeger (Simi Valley, Calif.), Skye Boris (Magnolia, Del.) and Reid (hit by pitch).? Reid's walk forced in a run in Pleasanton.? The Lady Hornets left all three runners stranded as Waters ended the inning on a fly out.
The Cavaliers tallied one more run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't enough as Sarris (Rohnert Park, Calif.) held them to just one hit in the bottom of the seventh and tallied her fourth save of the season.
With the victory, Beighley recorded her seventh win of the season and DSU improved their record to 23-11.? UVA moves their record to 19-23 on the season.
In the opener, DSU freshman Stephanie Martello (Oxnard, Calif.) broke up a perfect game by Virginia's?Melanie Mitchell in the top of the fourth inning to record the lone hit on the day for the Hornets.? Mitchell also tallied 10 strikeouts on the day en route to a game one win.
The Hornets return home this weekend with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series against Coppin State (8-11; 2-4).? Saturday's doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. at the Hornets Nest while Sunday's affair starts at 1 p.m.
