DOVER, DE -- The University of Delaware softball team swept a doubleheader at Delaware State Wednesday afternoon, winning the opener, 2-1, before posting an 8-0 victory in six innings in the nightcap at the Hornets Nest.

The Blue Hens, who imrpoved to 7-12-1 this season, are now 17-1 all-time against Delaware State and have won the last nine meetings between the two schools. The Hornets dropped to 6-18 on the year following the two defeats.

Delaware took the lead in the first game in the top of the second inning when Michelle Kenney (at right) led off with a single to centerfield, advanced to third on a one-out single by Michelle Plant, and scored on a wild pitch by Hornets starter Meghan Wilson. The Blue Hens tacked on a run in the fourth as Plant lined a two-out double to left and came around to score when Shanette White reached on a throwing error by Delaware State third baseman Sha Tabor.

The Hornets got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Catrina Ansbach led off the frame with a home run to left. Delaware pitcher Carolynn Sloat then gave up a single to Jacinda Poni but retired the final 12 Delaware State batters as the Blue Hens held on for the victory. Sloat improved to 4-6 on the season as she allowed just one run on six hits. She also struck out five batters to tie Kristi O’Connell for the school record with 555 career strikeouts.

Plant finished 3 for 3 with a run scored for Delaware, while Katie Lee went 2 for 4 at the plate. Wilson took the loss for Delaware State and dropped to 2-9 after allowing two runs, one earned, on nine hits while striking out one batter.

The Blue Hens then jumped on the Hornets in the nightcap by scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. After Allison Borchers and Lee led of the frame by reaching on errors, the runners moved to second and third on a sacrfice bunt by Cecile Egan. Borchers scored the first run of the game when Kim Ovittore reached on another Hornets error, and Kenney followed with a three-run homer to leftfield, her third round-tripper of the season, to make it a four-run game. One out later Plant doubled to rightcenter and then scored on a single by Jessica Kozlowski as Delaware took the early 5-0 lead.

The Blue Hens added a run in the second as Borchers led off with a single to left, moved to second and third when Lee and Egan were both hit by pitches, and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly to left by Kenney. Ovittore doubled with two outs in the fourth inning and came around to score on an RBI single to left by Kenney, her fifth run batted in of the game.

Borchers led off the sixth with a single to center, and after she stole second, she scored on a single to right by Lee. After Kenney retired the Hornets in order in the bottom of the frame, the game ended due to the mercy rule.

Kenney earned her first win as a Blue Hen and improved to 1-2 after allowing just one hit and striking out two while not walking a batter. Hornets starter Brittany Ruark fell to 2-7 as she gave up eight runs, just three earned, on 10 hits in five innings of work.

Kenney finished 2 for 3 with five RBI and a run scored for the Blue Hens, while Borchers was 3 for 4 with three runs scored.

Delaware returns to Colonial Athletic Association play this weekend with a three-game series at Towson. The Blue Hens and Tigers will play a doubleheader Saturday at 12 noon and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.

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