NEWARK, Del. - With two outs in the top of the seventh and a 0-0 game, the Delaware State University softball seniors came through in the clutch and scored three runs on five hits to lead the Hornets to a 3-0 game one victory over the University of Delaware Wednesday afternoon.  In game two, the two teams played to a 5-5 tie through six innings before the contest was halted due to darkness.

In game one, seniors Leslie Pleasanton (Smyrna, Del.), Chelsea Stern (Owings, Md.) and Tawny Reeger (Simi Valley, Calif.) all cranked out doubles to left field while Jordan Reid (Accokeek, Md.) knocked a single to center to score the game's lone three runs off of UD starting pitcher Chenxi Jiao (1-9).

In the bottom of the inning, sophomore Stephanie Sarris (Rohnert Park, Calif.) walked Blue Hen sophomore Brittney Noons before recording three straight walks to earn her fifth win of the season.

Senior Casey Beighley (Los Angeles, Calif.) started the game for the Hornets and went 4.0 innings strong, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out four. 

Sarris threw 3.0 innings and gave up no hits and two walks with one strikeout.

UD (4-23-1) opened the scoring in the nightcap during the bottom of the second inning, capitalizing on two DSU errors.  Noons reached base after sophomore first baseman Stephanie Martello (Oxnard, Calif.) failed to catch the throw from Reeger at second base.  Noons advanced to second on the error.  Maggie Creciun pinch ran for Noons, stole third and scored when a throw from senior catcher Rachel Carroll (Oxnard, Calif.) to give the Blue Hens a 1-0 lead.

Delaware added a run in the third before the Hornets rallied back in the top of the fourth as Reeger led off with a double off the leftfield fence.  Two outs later, Carroll walked and stole second.  Freshman Kelsey Doherty (Harbeson, Del.) then delivered a two-run single up the middle to tie things at 2-2.

The Blue Hens took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning, but DSU responded in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits and one UD error.  Martello smashed a single to right field to score Reeger and Reid and eventually came around to score on a single to left by Beighley.

The Hornets carried their 5-3 lead until the bottom of the sixth, when Delaware pushed across a pair of runs to tie the game. 

The contest was called before the seventh began due to darkness.

Sophomore Rachel Meagley (Seattle, Wash.) saw her first action of her DSU career in game two, after transferring from Miami-Dade College and rehabbing an injury to begin the season.  Meagley went 2.0 innings, giving up three hits, two runs (both earned) with two strikeouts.

Reid led DSU (7-11-1) as she went 4-for-6 on the day with two runs scored and one RBI.

The Hornets return home on Friday as they host Cornell in a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m. before hosting the annual Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the Hornets Nest.  Bucknell will join Cornell and Delaware State in the tournament.

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