DOVER, Del. – With two runners on base
and a 0-0 score, junior Rachel Carroll
(Oxnard, Calif.) came in as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning
and came through in the clutch as she knocked an RBI single up the middle to
give the Delaware State University softball team a 1-0 win over Coppin State
Wednesday at the Hornets Nest.
Junior Leslie Pleasanton (Smyrna, Del.) was the first Hornet to reach base
in the frame as she singled to the left side. DSU head coach Jeff Savage immediately put in sophomore Kelsey Lewis (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) as a
pinch runner for Pleasanton. Another
junior, Tawny Reeger (Simi Valley,
Calif.) next reached on an error by shortstop Amber Miller.
Carroll then came in to hit for junior
Chelsea Stern (Wings, Md.) and the
move paid off for Savage and the Hornets as they broke the scoreless tie to
move to 24-11 on the season and 6-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.
The matchup provided a pitcher's
duel between Hornet freshman Stephanie
Sarris (Rohnert Park, Calif.) and Eagle sophomore ace Paige Arnold. The two gave up a combined 10 hits in
addition to striking out 12.
With the outstanding pitching
from both sides, if any batter did happen to get on base, they were left
stranded.
CSU looked as though they were
going to be the first to score right away in the first inning. The Eagles were able to get the bases
loaded off of one hit and two walks before Sarris shut the door on any
opportunity for CSU to score.
DSU posted their first hit of the
game in the bottom of the third inning with a single from junior Jordan Reid (Accokeek, Md.). Reid advanced to third on an error by
leftfielder Patrice Williams before the inning came to a close.
The Eagles left another three
runners stranded in the top of the fifth inning.
The Hornets looked to break the
tie in the sixth inning as freshman Stephanie
Martello (Oxnard, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice and fellow freshman
Ashley Davis (Seattle, Wash.) bunted
for a single with two outs, but Arnold struck out senior Janelle Lukens (Williamsport, Pa.) to end the inning.
The seventh inning was the last
chance for the teams to take a victory without going into extra innings. Luckily for DSU, CSU (9-13; 2-5) was
unable to get on the board and a walk-off single was in the works for the
Hornets.
Sarris earned her sixth win of
the season, giving up just five hits and one walk while striking out three in
6.2 innings pitched.
The two teams wrap up the series
tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
