April 23, 2005

Box Score

Philadelphia, Pa. - Jonnaé McClain (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield) inched closer to 100 career hits with a three-run long ball in a five-run fourth inning in Drexel's (16-14, 7-5 CAA) 5-1 victory over George Mason (17-25, 4-8 CAA). The senior needs just three more raps to reach the century mark. Amanda Hastings (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Central) extended her hitting streak to eight games with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Play was suspended in game two with Mason leading 3-1 in the sixth inning. The game will resume tomorrow, Sunday, April 24 at 11:00 a.m.

Game One
The game turned for the Dragons in the fourth inning when they got out of a jam in the field and put five runs on the board compliments McClain's three-run bomb. Krista Van Wert (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) pitched four innings of hitless softball in relief of Elizabeth Fuller (Manassas, Va./Osbourn).

Drexel worked itself into a second and third, no-out jam in the top of the fourth inning. Mason's Megan Farrell (Medford, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) singled to right center then Emily Grapel (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) dropped down a bunt that rolled the length of the first base line and barely stayed fair for a single. Van Wert came in to pitch moving Molly Dacey (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) from first base to third and bumping Brianne Brown (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic) from her spot at third base over to shortstop. The Patriots immediately tested the new defensive changes as Reanna Gallegos bunted down the third base line. Dacey picked up the roller and forced out the lead runner at third base. Heyser, who moved from leftfield to first base in the shift, picked up a grounder down the first-base line, tagging the runner for out number two. Van Wert fanned the batter to get out of the jam.

In Drexel's half of the inning, Chrissy Hulme (Pompton Lakes, N.J./Pompton Lakes) led off by bouncing a single over the glove of Grapel at third. Amanda Heyser (Phoenixville, Pa./Methacton) bunted the pinch runner Eva Noelsch (Brightwaters, N.Y./Bay Shore) to second, and she took third on a wild pitch that hit the plate and bounced over the head of the catcher. Lena Aiken (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion) walked and Hastings pounded a ball into the ground in front of the plate, the pitcher and catcher scrambled to grab it leaving no one to cover home as Noelsch came in to score. Van Wert followed with a grounder to the shortstop that Stacey James (Leesburg, Va./Loudon County) threw wide of the first baseman. McClain followed by lifting her three-run dinger into the gusting wind that had been blowing toward left field since the start of the game. The homerun put Drexel on top 5-1.

Mason got its only run in the third inning when the number nine hitter Cooksey, a lefty slapper put a ball up in the wind that went over the heads of a drawn in outfield, rolling nearly to the fence for a double. She took third on a wild pitch and Stacey James brought her in with a bullet back through the middle giving Mason a 1-0 lead.

Van Wert took over from there, fanning three more Patriots while retiring the final nine batters in order to end the game and improve her record to 9-3 on the season. Megan Farrell took the loss for Mason, letting up five un-earned runs on nine hits, striking out five and walking two.

Game Two
The Patriots took at 3-1 lead in the nightcap. Play was suspended due to rain in Mason's half of the sixth with runners on second and third and no outs.

Lesley Hassen (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) homered in the second inning to give Mason a 1-0 lead. The Patriots added another run in the third when James singled to right and sold second. The next batter hit a dribbled back up the middle under Van Wert's glove. Aiken dropped it trying to make the play at second allowing James to score. Van Wert fanned the final batter to end the inning stranding a runner on third.

Drexel picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth. Fuller led off by lacing a singled to right field. Dacey got around on a high fastball dropping it just inside the leftfield line for an RBI double.

Rain picked up in the sixth inning as Mason tacked on its third run of the day when Emily Miller came in to score from first on a throwing error by Hulme who fielded a bunt by Farrell.

Game 1
Mason 001 000 0 - 1
Drexel 000 500 X - 5