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America East Softball Tournament
May 8, 1999

 

Hofstra Knocks Delaware Out of America East Softball Tourney

 

BURLINGTON, VT -- The most successful season in University of Delaware softball came to an abrupt end Saturday afternoon as top seed Hofstra knocked the No. 3 seed Blue Hens out of the America East Tournament with a 12-3 victory in the elimination game at the University of Vermont's Post Field.

The Blue Hens, who lost their first round game 4-3 in 12 innings to No. 2 seed Drexel Friday, ended their season with a slate of 33-17, surpassing the previous school record for wins in a season by six games.

No. 4 seed Towson (32-18) defeated Drexel (30-20) 1-0 in 12 innings Saturday to advance to Sunday's finals vs. the winner of Saturday evening's Drexel-Hofstra game. The conference champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The defending champion Flying Dutchwomen (37-17) banged out 14 hits, scoring four runs in the fourth and six more in the seventh to put the game away. Lisa Ciavardini was 2 for 5 with three RBI to lead Hofstra, which got a complete game effort from pitcher Alicia Smith (19-5).

Delaware sophomore outfielder Lauren Mark, the America East Player of the Year from Hockessin, DE (Ursuline), was 2 for 4 with two RBI and catcher Christy Wilkins added two hits to lead the 11-hit attack by the Blue Hens. Junior Kristi O'Connell (17-10), who set a UD record for pitching wins in a season this spring, took the loss, allowing four runs in three and one-third innings.

Mark finished the season with UD season records for RBI (45) and triples (10) and her 60 hits were just two shy of the UD record. Freshman Mandy Welch, the America East Rookie of the Year, also finished the season with 60 hits. The Hens' 225 runs and 419 hits this season both broke school records.

AGATE:

Hofstra.....000 411 6 - 12-14-2
Delaware..100 000 2 - 3-11-4

Alicia Smith and Samantha Schour; Kristi O'Connell, Krysta Pidstawski (4) and Christy Wilkins, Kelly Dowell (6); 2B: Anderson (H), Tetro (H), 3B: A. Smith (H), Ciavardini (H); SB: Bennett (H), Brady (D); SH: Brady (D); SF: Boller (H): WP: Smith (19-5); LP: O'Connell (17-10).

 

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