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America East Tournament First Round

Drexel 4, Delaware 3 (12)
May 7, 1999
UD Softball Loses to Drexel 4-3 in America East Tournament

BURLINGTON, VT -- Michelle Batz reached on an error by Delaware second baseman Laurie Brosnahan to bring in Jodi Devine, who represented the winning run as Drexel (30-19) defeated Delaware (33-16) 4-3 in 12 innings in Burlington, Vermont on Friday afternoon to move the Hens to the losers bracket in the America East Softball championships to be played on Saturday.

Delaware jumped on the board first as Mandy Welch scored on a Lori Swanson wild pitch to put the Blue Hens up 1-0. However, the Dragons, scored twice in the bottom of the third on Devine and Dawn Critchfield's RBI singles to take the lead 2-1.

Delaware scored in the fifth to tie the score when Welch crossed the plated on a fielders choice by Brosnahan and took the lead 3-2 in sixth when pinch runner Beth Baugher scored on an error by Drexel's shortstop Kelly Donohoe. Delaware managed to get one out on the Dragons in the seventh before Jenn Hulme drove in the tying run on a sacrifice bunt. The Blue Hens saved the game temporarily when Lori Swanson was thrown out at the plate for the final out ofthe inning by Carolyn Wasilewski to send the game to extra innings.

Both teams had multiple chances in extra innings, as the Blue Hens left two runners on in the 10th inning and stranded the bases loaded in the 11th inning before yielding the go ahead run to Drexel in the 12th inning.

Delaware was led by Kristi O'Connell, who pitched 11 and two thirds innings giving up nine hits and only two earned runs. Christy Wilkins was three for six and Mandy Welch scored two of the Hens three runs. Delaware left 16 runners on base during the course of the game.

Delaware will move into the loser's bracket where it will face the No. 1 seed Hofstra Flying Dutchwomen (36-17) who were upset in the first game of the day by the No. 4 seeded Towson Tigers. That game will be the second game of the day, and will take place at 1:30 p.m. The winner will advance to play the loser of the 11 a.m. game, which will lead off the day, in the third game at 4 p.m., and the loser will become the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

Delaware (33-16)....001 011 000 000 3..13..3

Drexel (30-19)......002 000 100 001 4...9..3

Pitching: UD: O'Connell and Wilkins, DU: Swanson, Clark (9) and Stengel and Loomis; E: Brosnahan, Mark, Zielinski, Batz, Donohoe, Stengel; DP: DU-1; LOB: UD-16, DU-12; 2B: Stengel; CS: Stengel; SH: Brady 2; Brosnahan, Kelly, Zielinski, Critchfield, Donohoe, Hulme; W: Swanson 19-7, L: O'Connell 17-9; WP: O'Connell 2, Swanson 2; PB: Stengel; HBP: by O'Connell (Good); Attendance: 250

- DDD