JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Delaware State University softball team opened their season Friday afternoon with a 2-0 loss to McNeese State and 4-3 loss to Mount St. Mary's at the University of North Florida's Softball Complex.
Prior to play in the UNF Osprey Invitational, the Hornets took on the Cowgirls in a low-scoring affair.
Senior Casey Beighley (Los Angeles, Calif.) started the season on the mound for Delaware State and allowed just four hits, three walks, two runs (both earned) in addition to two strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched against McNeese State (12-6).
The Cowgirls, playing in their 18th game of the season, settled into a rhythm early and took advantage of early DSU jitters. With two runners on, sophomore Alanna DiVitorrio doubled down the left field line to score fellow sophomore Kim Kennedy and give McNeese State a 1-0 lead.
Beighley opened the second inning with the Hornets' first hit of the season, a double to left field, before being left stranded as Cowgirl pitcher Meagan Bond shut the next three DSU batters down.
Junior Marissa Koetting led of the bottom of the second with a walk and advanced to second base with a sacrifice bunt from freshman Lauren Langner. Junior Megan Knippa then singled to right center to score Koetting and take a 2-0 lead.
Senior Jordan Reid (Accokeek, Md.), back-to-back MEAC Player of the Year, hoped to put a spark into the Hornet offense as she smacked a two-out double to left field in the top of the third. Reid was stranded on second as Bond forced senior Leslie Pleasanton (Smyrna, Del.) to line out to third.
In the top of the fifth inning, freshman Kelsey Doherty (Harbeson, Del.) recorded the first hit of her career and was followed up by another double from Reid before DSU went down in the inning.
The final two innings of play continued to be uneventful as neither team recorded a hit and the Cowgirls took the 2-0 victory.
With the win, Bond improved to 8-4 on the year and allowed no walks and just five hits in addition to six strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched.
The Hornets put sophomore and 2011 All-MEAC Second Team selection Stephanie Sarris (Rohnert Park, Calif.) on the mound to face Mount St. Mary's in the first game of the UNF Osprey Invitational.
The Mount got on the board first, as junior catcher Alexa Tuck singled to left center field and eventually scored on a wild pitch to go up, 1-0.
Delaware State was held without a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning when Reid put down the first pitch for a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error by pitcher Nicole Pagano. Beighley gave the Hornets their second hit of the game with a single to left field but was thrown out at second to end the inning.
Freshman Bria Green (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle and tied the game at 1-1 as she scored off of a single from senior Rachel Carroll (Oxnard, Calif.).
The Mount responded with a big inning in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs on one hit and two DSU errors, to go up, 4-1.
The Hornets were held without a hit in the sixth before making a comeback in the bottom of the seventh.
Green led off for Delaware State with a first-pitch single to center field. Sophomore Ashlyn Campbell (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle and was replaced on the base path with senior Breanne Parr (Moorpark, Calif.) as a pinch-runner. Green and Parr each advanced a base on a wild pitch from Pagano.
Carroll, a Preseason All-MEAC honoree, doubled in two RBI for the Hornets to bring things to 4-3 in favor of the Mount.
The next two DSU batters went down with a strikeout and ground out to end the game and give Pagano a 3-1 record on the season.
The Hornets scored three runs on seven hits and one error in the game.
Sarris saw 22 batters in 5.1 innings pitched and gave up four hits, four runs (one earned) while striking out two in her first loss of the season.
Carroll and Green led the way against the Mount, each going 2-for-3 on the day. Carroll recorded three RBI while Green posted two runs for the Hornets.
Reid finished the day going 3-for-6 with two doubles and a strikeout while Beighley went 2-for-6 with a double.
Delaware State continues the Osprey Invitational with a 9:30 a.m. matchup tomorrow against St. Bonaventure. Live statistics for the contest are available via www.UNFOspreys.com and fans can also follow the action via the DSU Softball Twitter page at www.twitter.com/DelStSB.
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