Boxscore Game 1
Boxscore Game 2
Photo Gallery
PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College softball team split a twin bill with Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia at Nancy Churchman-Sawin Field on a beautiful Thurs. afternoon.
The Lightning (14-10, 5-7 CACC) won game one in thrilling fashion behind a complete-game, shutout victory by senior pitcher Heather Draper – the 20th win of her GBC career. The game went into extra innings still scoreless before freshman Roni Peters drove in junior Shannon Graves in the bottom of the eighth inning for the only run of the game, and the Lightning's first victory over the Devils since 2008.
USciences (7-21, 5-9 CACC) claimed a 2-1 victory in game two as the Lightning left the bases loaded during a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. Two errors haunted GBC, as starting sophomore pitcher Leanne Miller (2-5) was saddled with a tough loss despite allowing just two runs (one earned) on six hits and zero walks while striking out three.
Game 1:
Draper had a rough start to the top of the first and second innings, but managed to get through both innings unharmed.
USciences' Dayna Phillips led the game off with a double to left and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kerianne Jones. But Draper struck out Erin Summers and got Haley Kavelak to line out to Ashley Paige at shortstop for the final two outs of the inning.
After a quiet bottom of the inning by the Lightning, Draper walked the first batter of the second inning, Gabrielle Adams. Two failed sacrifice bunts by the Devils allowed GBC to twice get the lead runner out at second base for the first two outs of the inning, and Draper put Stacey Robertshaw away on strikes for another scoreless frame.
GBC could not put anybody on base off of USciences' Julie Shaw until a leadoff single to left field by freshman Michelle Foster. Junior Jordan Waterloo then reached on a fielder's choice while Foster slid safely into second, and the Lightning had two aboard with nobody out.
Peters was the next Lightning batter, and she flied out to center field. Foster, who took off from second base thinking the ball was in the gap, was doubled up at second base. Junior Danie Rice kept the inning alive with a base on balls and advanced Waterloo to second, but junior Cailin Cavanaugh hit a grounder to the second baseman for the final out of the inning.
From the third inning on, the Devils could only manage four base-runners off of Draper, who came into the game fifth in the CACC in ERA at 1.86. Their only potential scoring threat came in the top of the seventh, with the game still in a scoreless tie.
Janelle Rodriguez ripped a one-out double near the left field line that was nearly caught by sophomore Angelina Myers. Rodriguez advanced to third when Shaw grounded out to Paige, and the lead-run was 60 feet from home plate with two outs. Draper was again up to the challenge though as she got Robertshaw to pop up to Paige, and the junior shortstop came through with her fifth put-out and final out of the inning.
The Lightning may have ended the game in the final inning of regulation, but another base-running blunder in the bottom of the seventh severely hurt their cause. With one out, junior Shannon O'Hara singled up the middle and the next batter, Paige, reached on an error.
Miller came in to pinch run for O'Hara at second base, and she was doubled off at second base for the final out of the inning after USciences' center fielder Phillips made a tremendous catch in center field.
Phillips followed up her great play in the field with a one-out base hit in the top of the eighth inning – her game-high third hit of the game. but with two outs, she was thrown out trying to steal second base by Lightning catcher Danie Rice. For the season, Rice is 7-for-9 in throwing out base-runners on steal attempts.
Junior Shannon Graves came in to pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and reached on a bunt single. A well-executed sacrifice by Foster moved Graves over to second, and a ground-out to shortstop by Waterloo allowed Graves to advance to third.
Freshman Roni Peters stepped up to the plate with two outs and the winning run at third, and she smacked a single through the left side of the infield to bring home Graves for the winning run.
The Lightning improved to 1-1 on the season in extra-inning games with this victory.
Game 2:
Starting in the circle for the Lightning in game two was Miller. The sophomore right-hander allowed just one base-runner in a scoreless first two frames, but the Devils broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with one unearned run on three hits and a Lightning error.
Miller got the first two Devil batters to ground out back to the mound in that top of the third inning, but a dropped foul fly ball allowed Phillips' at-bat to continue, and the Devils leadoff hitter came through with a base-hit. Rodriguez and Summers followed suit with singles, and Phillips came around to score to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
The Lightning got that run back in the bottom of the fourth when Foster reached on a bunt single and worked her way around the bases until she ultimately scored from third on a passed ball.
With the score knotted at one run apiece, USciences manufactured what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the fifth inning.
The Devils Samantha Shaver led the inning off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Corcoran. Phillips' fifth hit of the afternoon sent Shaver to third, and the Devils had runners on the corners with just one out. At that point, GBC head coach Bill Streets called in reliever O'Hara to pitch.
As O'Hara worked the count against Rodriguez, Phillips took off on a second steal attempt, and an ill-advised throw by GBC catcher Erin Poffenberger allowed Shaver to score from third while Phillips reached second safely.
Goldey-Beacom rallied in the bottom of the seventh, but could not bring the tying run across to force a second extra-inning game.
Rice was aboard first base via a fielder's choice as the Lightning were down to their final out of the game when they began to rally. Waddle singled to left center and Myers drew a walk to load the bases. Poffenberger could not keep the inning going though as she flew out to right field to end the game.
Ten of GBC's 24 games thus far this season have been decided by one run. The Lightning are 5-5 in those games.
