Boxscore Game 1
Boxscore Game 2
PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College softball team split a pivotal Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Felician College on Thurs. afternoon at Nancy Churchman-Sawin Field. The Lightning won game one, 3-1 behind another dominant performance in the circle by senior Heather Draper, but committed six errors in the night cap, and lost, 7-3.
The Lightning, who came into today's action ninth in the league standings, had their record move to 16-12 overall and 7-9 in the CACC. Felician, who was eighth in the standings, is now 13-23 overall and 11-9 in conference.
Draper, who came into the game ranked fourth in the league in ERA with a 1.56, tossed a complete game one-hitter, during which she walked only one batter and allowed just one unearned run while striking out six. With this performance, she improved her ERA to a 1.37.
Sophomore right-hander Leanne Miller lasted 2.1 innings in her game two start, as she saw her record fall to 3-6 after allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits. Junior Shannon O'Hara pitched 4.2 innings of relief and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Game 1:
With Draper cruising through the first five innings of the game unharmed, the Lightning struck for one run in the bottom of the third inning and two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Sophomore Angelina Myers helped GBC get on the board as she led off the Lightning half of the third inning with a triple down the right field line. After the next two Lightning batters were retired, Myers was able to score when junior Cailin Cavanaugh reached safely on an error by Felician pitcher Kristina Jimenez.
Junior Shannon Graves was the catalyst in the Lightning's two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth as she led off the inning with a bunt single and stole her 11th base of the season to reach second base. Graves came into the week ranked third in the league in stolen bases, and she is 11-for-13 in steal attempts this year.
After Graves' stolen base, freshman Michelle Foster allowed Graves to move to third on a ground out to the pitcher. Graves then came home to score on a beautiful bunt single by Cavanaugh.
Freshman Roni Peters and junior Jordan Waterloo both singled later in the bottom of the fifth, and Waterloo's hit would send home Cavanaugh to give the Lightning a 3-0 lead.
Felician's Samantha Ortiz had the only Falcon hit of the game as she clubbed a lead-off double to left center in the top of the sixth. Two Lightning errors allowed Ortiz to come around to score, including a misplayed fly ball in right field with two outs.
Though she could not come up with the catch in right field, Graves hustled after the ball and alertly threw it in to the first baseman Waterloo, and Waterloo threw to home plate where junior Danie Rice applied the tag for the final out of the inning to keep it a 3-1 advantage.
Draper retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory. Foster hustled into foul territory deep in left field to make the running catch and record the final out of the game.
Game 2:
Felician loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the first inning, but Miller was able to pitch her way out of the jam with no runs scored.
The Lightning then seemingly seized momentum by scoring three runs on one hit, two walks and two Falcon errors in the bottom of the first.
Again, Graves was the table-setter, starting the rally with a base-hit. Two consecutive errors on balls hit by Foster and Cavanaugh allowed Graves to come around and score her team-leading 27th run of the season, and the Lightning were quickly up, 1-0.
After Peters grounded out to shortstop and Cavanaugh and advanced to second, Rice and Waterloo earned consecutive walks. Waterloo's walk came with the bases loaded and brought home Foster from third.
Freshman Ashley Zaccaria, who saw her first game action of the season since suffering a concussion at Concordia back on Apr. 3, collected an RBI on a fielder's choice play where all runners reached safely. The Lightning left two runners stranded, but had a 3-0 lead at the end of one inning.
Miller retired the side in order in the top of the second, but then the Lightning went down 1-2-3 as well, so the score remained 3-0 through two frames.
But things began to unravel for Miller and Goldey-Beacom in the top of the third as the Falcons tallied five runs to take the lead.
First, Carissa Trujillo led off the inning with a base-hit through the left side. Trujillo was thrown out at third base for the first out of the inning after trying to move up two bases on a bunt single by Halei Van Dyke. (Foster made the heads-up play to come in from left field and cover third base after the Lightning third baseman, Peters, left it vacant by charging in to field the bunt)
But with one out, Felician's Lauren DeGrushe singled through the left side and Van Dyke advanced to second base. With runners on first and second, Kelsi Ludwigsen reached safely on an infield error, and, as a result of the error, each Falcon baserunner moved up two bases, including Van Dyke who scored from second.
Still with just one out, Felician's game two starting pitcher Kristen Tenwolde helped her cause by cracking a double down the left field line to score DeGrushe and make the score, 3-2. At that point, Miller's day was over as GBC head coach Bill Streets called in O'Hara to pitch for the remainder of the game.
O'Hara's first batter faced, Grace Keller, reached on the second Lightning error of the inning which also allowed Ludwigsen to score from third to even the score at 3-3. Then Ortiz walked to load the bases for Amber Doran, who hit into a fielder's choice play where the Lightning committed their third error of the inning and let two more Falcon runs cross the plate.
Finally, O'Hara got the Lightning out of the inning by striking out Gina Piserchio and getting Trujillo to pop up to the shortstop, Myers. But the damage had been done as Felician claimed a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the third frame.
Peters singled in the bottom of the third and Zaccaria singled in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lightning could score any runs in either inning.
Base-hits by Keller and Trujillo, and two more costly Lightning errors allowed Felician to score two more runs and take a 7-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
Meanwhile, GBC put nobody on base from the fifth inning on, as Tenwolde earned the complete game victory. Tenwolde shut the Lightning out in the final six innings after allowing three runs (only one earned) in the bottom of the first.
