Tara Konopka took the mound for the first game and did her job to keep the Dragons competitive. She gave up six hits and only two runs, but Drexel had a very tough time finding the holes to get on base.

Drexel collected only two hits in the first game, which were singles by Maddison Timoteo and Jill Popek. Besides those two hits, the Dragons could not put themselves in a position to score runs, as they dropped the first game 2-0, with Konopka receiving the tough loss.

“Our offense was putting the ball in play but struggled to get that key hit,” head coach Miranda Ervin said. “Both teams did not strike out very much, but George Mason was able to get a key hit where we were not.”

Drexel started Shelby Taylor at pitcher in the second game, but it was the same old story for the Dragons. The team put itself in a position to break a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Catcher Karli Boyer singled to right to start the inning, moved to second base on a wild pitch and reached third on a groundout. Popek then hit a hard ground ball to the mound, where Boyer was caught between third base and home. After a long rundown, Boyer was tagged out, ending the scoring chance.

The Dragons put runners in scoring position four more times but were unable to execute. Boyer and center fielder Hanna Parrish each had two hits, while Taylor, Popek, Sylvia Llamas and Comfort Ahonkhai each got on base multiple times for Drexel. The game reached the bottom of the 13th inning, which was the Dragons’ third game this season to go at least 11. In the bottom of the 13th, GMU loaded the bases with no outs and then ended the game by hitting a walk-off single. The final score was 1-0 in favor of the Patriots, cementing the win in both games of the doubleheader.

Pitching was a big reason why Drexel stayed competitive in the game and had a chance to win.

“I think our pitchers did an amazing job this weekend, and I feel like this showed them what they are capable of,” Ervin said. “I also think it gives us ways to improve over the summer and in the fall to be even better next season.”

The final game of the Dragons’ season came May 4 against the same GMU team. With a new day and a new game, Drexel hoped to see some offense out on the field. Unfortunately it was a repeat of Friday’s performance, as the Dragons were shut out for the third straight game against the Patriots, falling 1-0 in the season finale.

Again, it was a great combined pitching effort by Taylor, Konopka and Shyann Beach. Beach took the loss for Drexel after giving up a run in the first inning. Taylor and Konopka came in after that and combined to pitch five scoreless innings. The Dragons could only muster three hits in the game. The team finished the season 15-36 and 2-19 in the CAA.

Drexel will now have time to go back and get better during the offseason, and Ervin is very optimistic about the future.

“I am excited to see the work that the athletes put in over the summer and rest of the offseason,” she said. “The team is growing and will continue to get better.”

Ervin then also added some specifics she wants the team to work on: “I want to work on all facets of the game. I think mentality and speed will be a key for us as well as offense. We are going to push hard in the offseason.”

The Dragons are only graduating four seniors: Parrish, Beach, Jenn Reading and Amanda Bachmann. The Drexel softball team is young and determined to make the improvements needed to have a successful season next year.

The post Drexel softball swept by GMU in season finale appeared first on The Triangle.

Junior catcher Maddison Timoteo went 2-3 with a double and a run scored in Drexel’s 6-2 win against UNCW April 27. Timoteo is second on the team in on-base percentage, reaching base at a .303 clip on the season.

Heading into the final stretch of the season, first-year softball head coach Miranda Ervin and her young Drexel team may have found the formula for winning. The Dragons’ bats came alive, allowing them to pick up their first Colonial Athletic Association victories of the season April 27, sweeping a doubleheader against the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Drexel won the first game 4-1, and freshman Tara Konopka gutted out a tough performance for the Dragons, going six innings and giving up only one unearned run. Drexel took a 1-0 lead with the help of Hanna Parrish leading off with a single to start the game. Then with a steal and a groundout, Parrish found herself on third base with Shelby Taylor at the plate. Taylor hit a rocket down the third-base line that the fielder could not handle. Parrish hesitated for a moment and then broke for the plate, scoring the first run of the game for the Dragons.

After UNCW answered with an unearned run to tie the game, Jess O’Hara led off the fourth inning for Drexel and made the most of her opportunity. O’Hara got on base by beating out a ground ball to the right side of the infield and then stealing second. She took the lead back for the Dragons by advancing to third and then taking home on consecutive wild pitches.

Drexel tacked on another run in the fifth. Maggy Fermo legged out a ground-ball single, and a Taylor single put her in scoring position. Fermo then scored the third run of the game for the Dragons when Sylvia Llamas brought her home with a single through the right side.

As Drexel was leading 3-1 going into the sixth inning, Konopka helped herself out by singling, and her pinch runner, Lara Horwitz, was able to score and finish off the Seahawks by a score of 4-1.

Game 2 of the doubleheader was a low-scoring affair until the fourth inning. The Dragons put three runs on the board, and it started with O’Hara once again.

O’Hara stuck out swinging, but the catcher could not handle the pitch, allowing her to beat the throw to first base. After Maddison Timoteo singled, Jill Popek found herself at the plate with no outs and two runners on base. Popek delivered a double to right field, scoring O’Hara from second and advancing Timoteo to third base. After Ellen Scott walked and Horwitz struck out, Parrish was up with the bases loaded and two outs. Parrish got hit by a pitch, bringing Timoteo home. Fermo was up next and walked, bringing Popek home for the third run of the inning.

UNCW stormed back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Dragons responded with one run in each of the final three innings. In the fifth, Popek kept her hot bat going by driving in Llamas with a single. Taylor did the same by hitting a sacrifice fly that brought Parrish home in the sixth. Timoteo then doubled in the seventh, and pinch runner Bianca Iamurri scored off a hard-hit single up the middle by Scott. This gave Drexel the 6-2 lead, and Taylor was credited with the win after going five solid innings for the Dragons.

Ervin was proud of her team’s focus. “We were able to put runs on the board because the girls really executed with bunts and hits and runs. We got people on base and moved them and scored,” she said.

The next day, Drexel closed out the three-game series with the Seahawks. However, the Dragons offense was unable to help Konopka, who held off the UNCW offense for nearly 13 innings.

Drexel took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third after a ground ball by Fermo allowed Horwitz to score the first run of the game. The Seahawks answered back quickly with a run of their own in the bottom of the third, tying the game 1-1.

The score remained tied thanks to a spirited performance by Konopka. But in the 13th inning, Konopka gave up a walk-off home run to Lauryn Buckworth, who recorded all of the Seahawks’ RBIs in the game, to seal the 3-1 Drexel loss.

“I thought Tara really came into her own this weekend,” Ervin said about her young pitcher. “She was using a variety of pitches and getting ahead. I was very proud of her toughness.”

Drexel now sits with a record of 15-35 and a CAA record of 2-16. This may be the right time to be getting their timing down as they travel to take on conference foe George Mason University May 3-4 for a three-game series.

This could be another successful series for the Dragons, as the Patriots have also struggled this year, holding a record of 15-37 and a CAA record of 3-15. This is a very big series for Drexel, as a few wins would allow the team to surpass GMU in the standings and possibly UNCW as well.

Drexel was scheduled to play a doubleheader against Villanova University April 30, but inclement weather forced it to be canceled.

Although Drexel cannot qualify for the CAA Tournament, this final week may serve as great experience and momentum for the new coach and her young team.

“I would like them to have fun and execute so we can walk away with some wins and end the season on a high note,” Ervin commented on the team’s final stretch. “I want them more than anything to enjoy their last weekend together.”

Winning against CAA rival George Mason could leave the Dragons with a pair of good wins, and more importantly, some confidence heading into the offseason.

The post Softball takes two of three from rival UNCW appeared first on The Triangle.

The Drexel softball team defeated Delaware State University at Drexel Softball Field April 23 by a score of 3-2. Freshman pitcher Tara Konopka threw six innings and allowed one earned run as she picked up the victory.

It was a tough week for the Drexel softball team, as the Dragons went 1-4 and were swept by Georgia State University. Still, Drexel was able to push past Delaware State University in a closely contested game April 23. In addition to the games played this week, April 21 marked Senior Day, as the seniors were honored in their final Colonial Athletic Association home game.

The Dragons played a hard-fought game against Georgia State April 20 in the first game of a doubleheader. Tara Konopka got the start as pitcher and gave up two runs in the first inning. Drexel rallied back in the second inning, scoring four runs on four singles and two walks.

The Dragons could not hold off the Panthers, though, as GSU scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead. The Panthers then added a run in each of the next two innings for a three-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Drexel started the seventh inning with a walk that quickly came around the bases after Maddison Timoteo crushed a ball over the left-field fence for a home run. With the stage set for a potential walk-off victory, the Dragons were unable to score another run and lost to GSU by a score of 7-6.

In the second game of the doubleheader, GSU put its foot on the gas pedal and never let up. The Panthers scored three runs in each of the first, second and sixth innings, which was more than enough to defeat Drexel 9-0. The Dragons got their first and only hit with one out remaining in the game to deny GSU’s Katie Worley the no-hitter.

Drexel’s struggles continued the following day, with the Dragons losing 9-0 once again to the Panthers. Drexel held the GSU offense to only one run through five innings. However, the Panthers gained three more runs early in the fifth and were able to score an additional five runs in the inning after Drexel committed two errors with two outs. Once again, the Dragons were able to muster only one hit against the tough GSU pitchers.

More important than the game itself was the honoring of Drexel’s seniors in their last CAA home game. Amanda Bachmann, Shyann Beach, Hanna Parrish and Jenn Reading were all honored before the game, receiving a well-deserved round of applause from those in attendance.

The Dragons played their last home game of the season against Delaware State April 23. Drexel was able to end its four-game losing streak with an exciting 3-2 victory over the Hornets.

Drexel got off to a rough start, allowing two runs in the top of the first inning, but the team was quick to respond in the bottom half of the inning. Parrish led off with a single, and after a walk by Maggy Fermo and a sacrifice bunt by Shelby Taylor, Timoteo came to the plate. Timoteo launched a ball down the right-field line that was caught in foul territory, but it was deep enough for Parrish to score from third on the sacrifice fly.

Konopka did not allow another run for the rest of the game, as she struck out four, allowing eight hits over six innings.

Drexel tied up the game in the third inning after Fermo was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Taylor bunted her over to second, and Timoteo came up once again with a runner in scoring position. Timoteo delivered as usual and shot a double down the third-base line, scoring Fermo from second to tie the game.

A bizarre play in the sixth allowed the Dragons to take the lead. With two outs and Jess O’Hara on third, DSU pitcher Stephanie Sarris threw a pitchout. Hornets catcher Sandy Hawthorne leaped and faked a throw down to third base. Third baseman Jordan Stamps acted as though the ball was overthrown, and O’Hara turned to break for the plate. When O’Hara realized Hawthorn still had the ball, she dove back to third. But this time, Hawthorne’s throw was actually overthrown, and O’Hara was able to score to give Drexel a 3-2 lead going into the last inning.

Taylor was put into the game as the closer. After a throwing error and a double, DSU had runners on second and third with one out. Taylor was able to get the Hornets’ Miranda Pedersen to foul off a bunt with two strikes and then forced a lineout to end the game for her first save of the season.

Drexel has a very important three-game series coming up this weekend against the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Drexel might have a chance to pass UNCW in the CAA standings as well as get its first win in the CAA. UNCW has struggled this season, and with only eight games remaining, Drexel needs a win in order to prove itself.

After the game April 28, the Dragons will rush back to Philadelphia to play Villanova University in a doubleheader April 30. Villanova has also struggled this season and will give Drexel a chance to improve its record, which currently stands at 13-32.

The post Drexel pulls out 3-2 win over Delaware St. appeared first on The Triangle.

Second baseman Sylvia Llamas tries to beat out a ground ball in Drexel’s 3-2 loss to Penn April 17 at Drexel Softball Field. The sophomore from San Jose, Calif., went 1 for 3 in the game with a walk and is hitting .215 so far this season.

It was another dismal week for the Drexel softball team, whose only win came April 16 against La Salle University. Overall, the Dragons went 1-5 this week, which included a sweep by Towson University. Drexel is now 12-29 on the season and has a tough matchup April 20 against Georgia State University.

The Dragons played a doubleheader April 13 and were shut out in both games against Towson. Tara Konopka pitched the first game and gave four strong innings before allowing a run in the fifth inning and another three in the sixth. Drexel’s offense didn’t give much support to Konopka, only registering four hits, and the Dragons fell to the Tigers by a score of 4-0.

The following game did not yield much more luck to the Dragons. Shelby Taylor started for Drexel and was roughed up in the first inning, giving up four runs. The bleeding then continued, as Towson scored another run in the second and three more in the third. Once again, the Dragons offense failed to score a run, and they lost the game 8-0.

The series ended in excitement April 14 when Drexel and Towson went 12 innings in a great pitching performance by Tara Konopka and the Dragons’ bullpen. The relievers gave up one run in 9 2-3 innings of work, with Konopka pitching 7 2-3 of those innings in relief. Konopka gave up four hits and struck out eight on the day.

Towson took an early lead with a two-run single in the third by Delanie Dunham. The Dragons answered in the third inning with a trio of doubles by Jenn Reading, Comfort Ahonkhai and Jill Popek. Unfortunately, the Dragons only managed one more hit the rest of the game.

The game looked to be over in the 10th inning when Towson’s Maureen Hepner led off with a triple, but Konopka was able to work out of it by popping up the next batter and striking out the following two. However, in the 12th inning after a hit batter and a sacrifice bunt, Towson was able to score the game-winning run with two singles.

Drexel’s offense came up big against La Salle. Reading went 3 for 3 and finished the game a triple shy of the cycle. Taylor put in an impressive performance on the mound, giving up only two runs and striking out a season-high nine batters.

The Dragons took the lead in the third inning when Reading led off with a double. Then Hanna Parrish singled up the middle to score Reading and the first run of the game. The Explorers tied it up in the sixth after a one-out walk issued by Taylor came around the bases on a two-out double by Casey Lester.

The Dragons offense heated up in the seventh. Eight batters came to the plate, and all eight batters reached base to score six runs. Reading smashed a two-run home run to the opposite field. With the bases loaded a few batters later, Maggy Fermo and Taylor hit back-to-back ground balls that scored two runs. The Explorers’ new pitcher, Mary Cate Scott, threw a wild pitch that scored an additional two runs, icing the game for the Dragons.

Head coach Miranda Ervin commented that the game was a “great win” and that it was “awesome to see us put some runs on the board,” which is what the Dragons had been lacking the last couple games.

But Drexel’s offense did not continue its hot streak April 17 against the University of Pennsylvania. The game was hard fought and came down to a throw to home plate for the final out of the game.

Tara Konopka started the game and did not give up an earned run, as all three of Penn’s runs came on errors in the first two innings. Ellen Scott drove in both of Drexel’s runs with a double in the second that brought home Maddison Timoteo and Reading. Neither team would score for the rest of the game, though Drexel came close twice in the fifth and seventh innings.

Ervin spoke of the missed opportunities after the game.

“At any point we had the chance to take the lead,” Ervin said. “It is something to build on going into this weekend.”

The Dragons have a very difficult matchup coming up. Drexel will play two games against Georgia State (27-16) this weekend and a game against Delaware State University (25-18-1) April 23.

The Dragons cannot give up unearned runs if they expect to beat these teams. In addition to their great pitching in these last couple of games, they must step up the offense as they did against La Salle if they want to overcome the Panthers and Hornets.

With only eight games left in the season, the Dragons can really prove something by defeating these tough teams. On Sunday, the seniors will be honored before the game for Senior Day ceremonies, and the team will look to play well for its graduating teammates.

The post Towson sweeps Drexel softball appeared first on The Triangle.

Senior first baseman Jenn Reading stretches for the out in Drexel’s doubleheader loss against Hofstra University April 7 at Drexel Softball Field. Reading leads the Dragons with 14 RBI in 36 games this season.

After a miserable start to the week, the Drexel softball team salvaged a victory in the final inning of the week’s last game. Overall the team went 1-4 for the week, including a perfect game that was thrown against them.

The Dragons were shut out by Hofstra University 11-0 in the series opener April 6. The game, which took place in the cool morning air, was closely played for the first few innings.

Tara Konopka got the start for Drexel, and after surrendering two first-inning runs, she settled into a groove and posted zeros the next two innings. The fourth inning did her and Drexel in, though, as she imploded to yield nine earned runs.

The game would be called after five innings due to the mercy rule. The Drexel lineup only managed one hit, a second-inning single by Maddison Timoteo.

In Sunday’s doubleheader, the offense would not do much better. The Dragons were shut out in both games en route to being swept by the Pride.

In Game 1, Olivia Galati hurled a six-inning perfect game against the Dragons, striking out 13 of the 18 Dragons she faced. Her performance on the mound was more than enough for the Pride, who supported her with 13 runs. Galati actually scored more runs herself than the amount of baserunners she allowed in the entire game.

Shelby Taylor got pounded on the mound to the tune of nine runs for Drexel. Big innings for Hofstra in the fourth and sixth innings, during which they scored 11 combined runs, did more than enough damage to bury Drexel.

Galati came pretty close to following up and matching her performance in Game 2, which Hofstra won 5-0. She allowed an infield single in the first before retiring 19 consecutive batters to end the game with a one-hit shutout. For the day, she tossed 13 shutout innings, allowing only the one hit and striking out 23 Dragons.

Konopka took the loss for the second straight day. The freshman allowed all five runs in her complete-game performance, falling to 6-11 on the season.

The shutout capped a scoreless weekend for the Drexel bats. Head coach Miranda Ervin simply said they were outplayed.

“They outperformed us,” she said. “We established our level of play, which was awesome to be a part of.”

The Dragons split their doubleheader against the United States Military Academy April 10 to finally get back in the win column, but not before a Game 1 loss. Konopka took another loss, yielding five runs over seven innings in a 5-1 defeat. The Dragons did get on the scoreboard, snapping their 23-inning scoreless streak.

In Game 2, Drexel snapped a seven game losing streak in dramatic fashion. Trailing by one heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Dragons rallied for five runs, capped by Taylor’s walk-off grand slam to capture the 7-3 victory. Each Dragon to come to the plate in the seventh inning reached base.

Taylor’s grand slam helped her own cause, as she won her fourth game of the season after hurling seven innings on the mound. She allowed only two earned runs and rebounded nicely from her two previous rough outings, helping Drexel improve its record to 11-25.

“She is definitely on track,” Ervin said. “I look forward to her performances this weekend.”

Taylor will get the ball when Drexel faces off against Towson University, starting with a doubleheader April 13 and ending with a third game April 14. The Dragons will look to snap their 10-game conference losing streak. They have lost 14 of their last 15 games against Colonial Athletic Association foes.

Because of the competitiveness and talented teams scattered throughout the conference, Ervin knows the team needs to play as sharp as it can and not give away outs, runs or games. She has made a point to focus on making the plays and doing the right fundamentals.

“I think we need to continue to focus on fundamentals,” she explained. “Our conference opponents are great competition and continue to push us to be better.”

The Tigers sit in fifth place in the CAA standings with a record of 19-23-1. They are one of the teams Drexel would need to leap past in the standings as they look to get on a run and climb out of the conference’s cellar. Ervin anticipates a tough battle over the weekend and expects to see fight from her team.

“I think we need to be performing at a high level to win,” she said. “I look for us to be a feisty team to do anything to win.”

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The Drexel softball team is set to face Hofstra University in a three-game series, including a doubleheader, April 6-7 at Drexel Softball
Field. The Dragons are coming off a 0-3 series loss to James Madison University in Harisonburg, Va., March 29-30.

On March 27, the team swept both games against Bucknell University on the road. Both games were decided by the same score: 3-1.

In Game 1, a three-run third inning was enough for Drexel. The highlight of the inning was a two-run double by Jenn Reading. Mary Horton’s error opened the door for the big inning, and the Dragons took advantage with three unearned runs. Tara Konopka earned the victory for Drexel with a complete-game, five-hit effort.

Game 2 was very similar in not just the score but also the way in which Drexel scored. Again, Reading provided both the game-tying and go-ahead RBI on one swing, driving in two with another third-inning double. That would again be enough for Drexel’s pitching staff. Rose Portiolli picked up the victory, pitching in relief of Shelby Taylor.

Strong pitching, solid defense and situational hitting keyed the doubleheader sweep, according to head coach Miranda Ervin.

“I think the sweep of Bucknell was more about being able to score when we needed to, and I think what stood out most was we played solid defense,” she said. “We put the ball in play when we had to and had a couple of key hits that we just really haven’t been getting.”

Ervin was especially impressed by the command of Konopka, Taylor and Portiolli.

“They got ahead and didn’t walk people,” she said. “With that, I thought they controlled the entire game. I never felt like Bucknell had a threat offensively to get back in the game.”

A few days later, the Dragons regressed to their recent struggles against the Colonial Athletic Association. The team dropped three games in two days to James Madison University, being swept in a March 29 doubleheader and losing the March 30 series finale.

In Friday’s Game 1, Drexel was shut out by freshman Jailyn Ford, who yielded only one base hit in the Dukes’ 8-0 victory. Konopka was hit hard, surrendering five runs in five innings. The eight-run rule allowed the game to be called after five-plus innings.

Game 2 was similar to Game 1, only worse, as Drexel was again beaten badly, 11-1. It was Ford beating the Dragons again, but this time with her bat. She slugged a grand slam, which actually was a walk-off, and put the eight-run rule in action again. Portiolli took the loss after allowing six runs to score in three innings.

Things did not get better in Saturday’s finale, and Drexel once again lost 11-1. Ford picked up her second victory on the mound in two days, running her record to 12-1. Taylor allowed 11 runs in four innings, including a demoralizing five-run first inning to the Dukes.

“You get down early in the game, and then you struggle to come back,” Ervin said. “They do have a good pitcher in Ford, but it was one of those things we could not get down early in the game and then get back in it.”

As for the offense, it was not just Ford’s dominance. Ervin saw opportunity for the Dragons to produce, but it just did not happen.

“I thought she was good, but I don’t think she was so much better than us that we could not score runs,” she said.

The loss marked Drexel’s 10th straight CAA defeat, dating back to last season. They have dropped 14 of their last 15 conference games.

They will, however, get a chance to snap the drought and pick up a win against a fellow CAA opponent when they host Hofstra University for three games this weekend. Beginning with a doubleheader Saturday, April 6, and another game the next day, they will have their hands full with the Pride, who sport an 18-9 record.

Ervin is looking for a competitive weekend from her squad.

“I want to just see a team that competes, a team that believes they can win, and then see what happens,” she said.

Ervin also said she hopes to see a nice turnout of support from Dragons fans. She noted that Drexel has an opportunity to turn the season around and make a postseason push.

“It’s a big home series, so they should come out and support us,” she said.

The post Softball’s struggles continue in CAA play appeared first on The Triangle.

[media-credit name="Triangle File Photo" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Drexel softball team recently fi nished a tough stretch of fi ve road games in Buies,
N.C., and Washington, D.C. They ended the stretch with two wins and three losses.

Drexel kicked off the Camel Stampede Tournament in an afternoon meeting with the Morehead State University Eagles, who entered the contest 4-5 on the season. The Dragons started the game strong, scoring in the top of the first for an early 1-0 lead. Despite the good start, Drexel did not hold the lead for long. Junior pitcher Shelby Taylor started the game for the Dragons but struggled in her four innings of work, giving up six earned runs on nine hits before being relieved by senior pitcher Shyann Beach in the top of the fifth.

Over the final three innings, Drexel managed to tack on four more runs, due in large part to a big day for senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Hanna Parrish, who went 3-5 with two runs scored on the day. The small rally narrowed the gap to 6-3 at one point, but it was too little and too late for the Dragons. Morehead State added on two insurance runs in the fifth, which was more than enough to secure the win for the Eagles. The damage was done early, and it was too much to overcome, as Morehead State went on to win 8-5.

Six hours after their loss to Morehead State, the Dragons returned to the field for their second game of the tournament, a night game against the Norfolk State University Spartans. Similar to their game earlier in the day, the Dragons shot out of the gate in the top of the first with a 1-0 lead. Parrish reached on an error to lead off the game and was later knocked in on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Jenn Reading. In her next plate appearance in the fourth, Reading showed her power with a solo home run, which put the Dragons up 2-0. Later in the same inning, junior shortstop Comfort Ahonkhai singled to score freshman pinch runner Lara Horwitz to push the lead to 3-0.

The Spartans answered in the bottom of the frame with two runs of their own, one of which was unearned due to an error by Ahonkhai at shortstop. The score remained at 3-2 until the sixth inning, when sophomore Jill Popek connected for a clutch two-run single, scoring freshmen Ellen Scott and Emily Baker on the play. Drexel headed into the bottom of the seventh with a 5-2 lead, but the Spartans did not go away quietly. After scoring one run on an error by Scott at third base, Norfolk State had the bases loaded with two outs. Despite the pressure, freshman starting pitcher Tara Konopka buckled down and induced a ground ball for the game’s final out, sealing her complete game and a 5-3 Drexel win.

After a short night’s sleep due to the late, exciting game the night before, the Dragons were back on the diamond the next morning to take on the Northern Kentucky University Norse. The teams played an even game through the first three innings, but the Norse finally broke through for four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Northern Kentucky put together the big inning with three hits, one walk and two fielding errors by Drexel. With the score at 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Horwitz scored on a ground ball by Ahonkhai, but that would be the lone run for Drexel in the game. In the end, the Dragons’ offense was limited to just one run on five hits, as they fell to Northern Kentucky 5-1.

The finale of the Camel Stampede Tournament pitted Drexel against the host team, the Campbell University Fighting Camels. The story of this game was Campbell’s ability to shut down the Drexel offense throughout the game. The Dragons managed only three baserunners in the game, with their only hit a single to center field off the bat of Parrish in the third inning. While Drexel struggled at the plate, the Fighting Camels broke through for one run in the second and three more in the fifth, which was ultimately the difference, as Campbell went on to win by a score of 4-0.

After a couple days back on campus, Drexel was once again on the road, this time in Washington to take on the Georgetown University Hoyas. The game was very uneventful early on, with both teams combining for only four hits and no runs in the first six innings. Neither team put together any real scoring opportunities until the seventh inning, when each team advanced a runner to second base, but both threats ended there.

The extra inning was a completely different story, as the bats came alive and any previous struggles at the plate were forgotten. Popek led off the top of the eighth with a single to right-center field and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ahonkhai. Sophomore center fielder Maggy Fermo then stepped to the plate and delivered the game’s first big hit, a double down the left-field line, which scored Popek and gave the Dragons the game’s first lead at 1-0. Sophomore second basemen Sylvia Llamas was up next for Drexel and apparently liked what she saw from her teammate, as she too ripped a double, this time down the right-field line, scoring Fermo and putting Drexel up 2-0. A few batters later, junior catcher Maddison Timoteo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Drexel took a 3-0 lead. Georgetown was able to score one run in the bottom half of the inning, but it was not enough to keep the game going, with the Dragons securing the 3-1 victory.

The Dragons will return home for the first time in 10 days when they take on city rival Saint Joseph’s University March 15.

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The Drexel University softball team had a week filled with mixed results. The Dragons went 3-4 (and now sit at 5-10 overall) March 1-5.

The Dragons traveled to Conway, S.C., March 1 to compete in the Coastal Carolina Invitational. The team’s offensive woes were the biggest story of the weekend. They went 1-4, including three shutout losses. In the final game of the tournament, however, the Dragons’ offense did show signs of life.

The Dragons began the invitational with a matchup March 1 against Wichita State University. Karli Boyer had a two-hit game, but Drexel could not push a run across the plate and was shut out, falling 4-0 to the Shockers. Although the offense was able to get five hits off of Wichita State’s Sloan Anderson, they were held hitless in key scoring situations. Freshman Tara Konopka gave the Dragons a strong pitching performance, allowing only two earned runs over five innings, but got minimal support from the offense in the loss.

Following the loss, the Dragons had a quick turnaround to face Coastal Carolina University. Once again, the offense was the story for the Dragons, as they could not crack the Chanticleers’ pitching and were held off the scoreboard for the second straight game. The Drexel offense mustered only three hits in the game. The Dragons’ Shelby Taylor held Coastal Carolina in check through the first four innings but got into trouble in the fifth and loaded the bases. The Chanticleers’ Morgan Noad took advantage of the situation, taking Taylor’s delivery over the right-field fence for a grand slam. Coastal Carolina would go on to take the win 8-0.

Drexel returned to the field Saturday to take on Western Carolina University. The Dragons scored their first run of the tournament and took an early lead in the game. Jess O’Hara beat out an infield single to the hole between shortstop and third base. Ellen Scott followed with an RBI double to the gap in left-center field that rolled to the wall. Western Carolina made a comeback in the fourth inning as Taylor lost her command. She walked three batters in the inning, including the tying run. The Catamounts took the lead in the fifth with two runs to give them a 3-1 lead. The Dragons were able to get within one run in the seventh inning off an RBI single by Comfort Ahonkhai but could not make the comeback, eventually falling 3-2.

In the second game of the day, Drexel’s offense was almost nonexistent against The University at Albany, State University of New York. The Dragons once again could not plate a run, managing only three singles and a walk. No Dragon runner could make it past first base in the game, and seven were struck out. The Great Danes’ offense had no problem scoring runs, as they plated five in the second, one in the fourth and three unearned in the sixth to put away the game.

The Dragons returned to the diamond March 3 to play their final game of the Coastal Carolina Invitational against Western Carolina. Drexel’s bats woke up for the first time on the weekend, as they finished the tournament with a 6-5 victory. In the win, Konopka earned her first collegiate victory in relief. The Dragon offense took advantage of its chances during the game, capitalizing on Catamount miscues to score five unearned runs. Outfielder Maggie Fermo scored twice, and Ahonkhai scored the game-winner to break a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning. Hanna Parrish added two hits and a run for the Dragons.

The Dragons’ performance at the Coastal Carolina Invitational featured an offense that could not make the correct adjustments when it counted. The team did not seem to click until the final game of the tournament.

“I think the team’s offensive struggles have come due to a lack of adjustments early in the game,” head coach Miranda Ervin said about her team’s performance. “We definitely can do a better job of making adjustments. When they are made, we hit the ball. I think this team has a lot of opportunities for offensive greatness, but it takes adjusting pitch to pitch and at bat to at bat.”

Following their stint in South Carolina, the team headed back to Philadelphia. The Dragons were set to play their first home games of the season March 5 in a doubleheader against Rider University. The team carried momentum from its previous win and was able to sweep the doubleheader in impressive fashion, winning both games by a final score of 8-0.

The first game of the day was all Dragons, with Taylor pitching a complete-game shutout and the offense manufacturing eight runs. Taylor allowed only one hit in her performance, a bunt single in the third inning. Parrish, Sylvia Llamas, Ahonkhai and Taylor each added two hits for the Dragons in the game. O’Hara had the biggest hit of the game, roping a double to left-center field that plated three runs.

The second game of the doubleheader had the same result for the Dragons. Once again the Drexel starting pitcher threw a complete-game shutout. Konopka allowed only four hits and struck out two in her six innings of work. The offense backed Konopka nicely, scoring eight runs for the second straight game. Parrish had her second two-hit game of the day and added two RBIs. O’Hara, Scott and Jill Popek each added two-hit days for the Dragons as well.

The Dragons’ first home games of the season came with the success they have been searching for all along. The offense finally seemed to wake up from its slump and scored 16 runs on the day. While the bats were impressive, it was the starting pitchers that shined brightest for Drexel with back-to-back complete-game shutouts.

“I think it was a huge confidence booster for both the team and the pitchers,” Ervin said about her starting pitchers’ performances against Rider. “The pitchers did a great job getting out of jams and finding a way to make pitches work. I think the team rallied behind the pitchers, and it gave everyone confidence going into this weekend.”

The Dragons will return to the field March 8 when they travel to Buies Creek, N.C., for the Hampton Inn Camel Stampede Tournament. Drexel will have matchups against Morehead State University, Norfolk State University, Northern Kentucky University and Campbell University over the weekend. The Dragons will look to find success on the road as they did at home.

“I think the key to success is making adjustments and playing hard every game,” Ervin said. “If we do that, then we will compete with all teams and give ourselves a chance to be successful.”

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The Drexel softball team continued its struggling start to the young season. The Dragons posted a disappointing 2-4 record (2-6 overall) Feb. 24-27.

The week started with a road trip south, as they traveled to Greensboro, N.C., for the Spartan Classic. Returning for the second year, the Dragons dropped three of four.

The Dragons began the road trip being swept Feb. 24. They received a spectacular pitching performance to open up the day from junior Shelby Taylor in a 1-0 loss to Quinnipiac University. The junior posted seven innings of one-run ball, scattering only five hits throughout the morning game. Unfortunately, it was wasted, as the Drexel offense was quieted by Hannah Lindsley in a one-hit shutout.

A few hours later, Drexel’s offense still was not awake. This time it was Marshall University’s Andi Williamson who allowed just one hit in a complete-game shutout, as she led Marshall to a 4-0 victory.

Drexel bounced back the next day and defeated Williamson and the Marshall Herd 4-3. Freshman infielder Ellen Scott had the big hit for the Dragons, a two-run single in a three-run fifth inning. Taylor picked up the team’s first win of the season in relief. Head coach Miranda Ervin attributed the win to a change in approach at the plate. Ervin said an effort to be more aggressive was key, as they racked up eight hits against Williamson.

There would be no winning streak, as Drexel followed up the victory with a 9-4 defeat in extra innings Feb. 25 to the hometown team, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The game was tied through seven, but the Dragons were done in by an error by junior Comfort Ahonkhai. The throwing error opened the door for five unearned runs and a tough loss for freshman pitcher Tara Konopka.

The Dragons split a doubleheader Feb. 27 with George Washington University. In Game 1 they were shut out for the third time in four days. GWU pitcher Meghan Rico limited Drexel to just one hit and completed the five-inning shutout.

The Dragons would bounce back and win 3-2 behind Taylor. Junior catcher Maddison Timoteo had the big hit, knocking in Taylor for the deciding run in the sixth. Along with scoring the winning run, Taylor evened her record at 2-2.

Eight games into the season, the Dragons are off to a 2-6 start for the third straight year. Despite the few wins, Ervin said she has been encouraged by her players’ improvement.

“The team is working hard every day, shown by how they’ve gotten better in season,” Ervin said.

Ervin saw some positives in her two pitchers, Taylor and Konopka. They should continue to impress as they gain more experience. Ervin said she views them as pitchers who can win big games down the line.

“Tara is young, so she has to try to not do too much,” Ervin said. “They both have the skills to take us far. They just need game experience.”

Up next in the condensed softball season is the Coastal Carolina Invitational. The Dragons will have five games on the docket.^. The Dragons will take on both Wichita State University and the host, Coastal Carolina University, March 1. They will face Western Carolina University and the University at Albany March 2. They will wrap up the weekend trip with just one game March 3 against Western Carolina.

That is five games in 48 hours and four games in less than 24 hours. Ervin and the team know it is part of the game.

“This is what it’s about once the season starts,” Ervin said. “It’s about getting out there, resting, staying healthy and getting these games in.”

The team will get a day off before returning home for a doubleheader March 5 against Rider University. Despite the tight schedule and early struggles, Ervin said she expects the team to continue its improvements, play hard and get back in the win column.

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[media-credit name="Triangle File Photo" align="alignleft" width="300"] Junior center fielder Comfort Ahonkhai throws in a relay from the warning track in the outfield. Ahonkhai was the leadoff hitter in both games against Charotte and went 2-6 with one walk, one HBP, one RBI and one run.

The Dragons participated in the Charlotte Classic along with Youngstown State University, the United States Military Academy and Charlotte. Drexel lost both games of a doubleheader against the 49ers, 10-2 in the first game and 19-10 in the second. The two games of the doubleheader were the only games the Dragons would play because inclement weather forced the cancellation of the rest of the tournament.

Coming into the first game of the doubleheader, Charlotte had a record of 2-2 after already playing four games on the season.

Drexel sent junior Shelby Taylor to the mound in the first game, and the team provided run support at the top of the second inning. The Dragons took the lead when sophomore Maggy Fermo drew a bases-loaded walk to score sophomore Sylvia Llamas. With the bases still loaded, junior Comfort Ahonkhai was hit by a pitch to score another run. Both runs were unearned, and they would be the last Drexel would score. In the bottom of the second, Charlotte brought the game to within one run when Samantha Slade went from second base to score off a mishandled ball by Ellen Scott. The 49ers would tack on four more runs in the bottom of the third and one run each in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to widen their lead to 7-2. To add salt to the wound, Charlotte scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to finish off the Dragons by a score of 10-2. Taylor was pegged with the loss, throwing 5.1 innings and giving up 12 hits and seven earned runs. She also struck out three and walked two. The 49ers’ Katie Watkins had a great day, giving up just four hits and no earned runs.

Drexel sent freshman Tara Konopka for her first career start in the second game of the doubleheader. The 49ers got on the board first in the top of the first. The Dragons answered in the bottom of the first with three runs of their own, capitalized by back–to-back RBI singles by junior Maddison Timoteo and junior Karli Boyer to take a 3-1 lead. Charlotte tied the game in the top of the second with two more runs and scored four more in the top of the third. The 49ers tacked on three more in the top of the fifth to bring their lead to 10-3, breaking the 10-run mark for the second time that day. Drexel scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to get within just three runs, but Charlotte scored five more in the top of the sixth to widen the margin to 15-7. The Dragons made another push in the bottom of the sixth when they scored three more runs, two of which were batted in off a double to left-center by senior Jenn Reading. The 49ers shot down Drexel’s comeback with four runs of their own at the top of the seventh, sealing the 19-10 win. The Dragons had a whopping five errors in the game, two committed by Llamas.

“We would go to throw without seeing the ball into our glove or try and make a play before we let the play come to us,” head coach Miranda Ervin said when explaining the high number of errors. “I think it was both a product of nerves, high-scoring games and trying to do too much.”

Reading had a big game with a team-high three RBIs on two hits, while junior Jess O’Hara had a solid game with two runs scored, one hit, one RBI and one drawn walk. Konopka was pegged with the loss, pitching four innings and giving up 10 hits while striking out only one batter. Freshman Rose Portiolli made her first-ever appearance in relief, pitching three innings and giving up 12 hits and nine earned runs while striking out one batter.

The Dragons will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to participate in the Spartan Classic Feb. 24-25, hosted by The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Quinnipiac University and Marshall University will also participate in the tournament. Quinnipiac will be opening its season at the tournament. The Dragons will be tested at this tournament, playing four games in two days.

“I think it will test them mentally on how to recover more than physically,” Ervin said.

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Junior guard Chris Fouch shoots a jump shot against Hofstra University as avid DAC Pack members look on at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The Dragons won the game 78-67, further establishing the DAC as one of the most hostile environments in basketball.

The most popular sport at Drexel is men’s basketball, hands down. Even before the season begins, the anticipation is palpable on campus. During the season, campus is always buzzing. And why not? Head coach James “Bruiser” Flint was quoted last year saying that the Dragons were the best college basketball team in the city.

The Drexel men’s basketball team started last season on ESPN’s Midnight Madness. The Dragons were picked as the early-season favorites to win the Colonial Athletic Association and to represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. Drexel got off to a slow start, losing four of the first six games. After that stretch, the Dragons lost only one more game the rest of the season to capture a conference title. In the CAA tournament, the Dragons won their first two games to advance to the finals. The Dragons faced Virginia Commonwealth University, which just a year earlier made it all the way to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. VCU beat Drexel 56-59, thus making the Dragons ineligible for an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Even after the CAA Tournament loss, many experts were picking Drexel to make it into the NCAA Tournament by means of the selection committee. But alas, the selection committee snubbed Drexel for the second year in a row. Drexel instead participated in the National Invitation Tournament and lost in the quarterfinals.

This year the Dragons will surely continue on the same track as last year’s campaign. They only graduated one senior, and their younger players, most notably sophomore Damion Lee, emerged in the second half of the season. Junior Frantz Massenat and seniors Derrick Thomas, Chris Fouch and Daryl McCoy are all one year older and are primed to lead this team to an NCAA Tournament bid. However, their window to win may be closing. The team will graduate key players after this coming season, leaving a significant leadership void.

Another team to watch is the Drexel men’s lacrosse team. Last season the Dragons finished 8-8 and lost in the finals of the CAA Tournament. They narrowly missed the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament. Last season they graduated six seniors, including star goalie Mark Manos. This year the team selected seniors Garrett McIntosh, Aaron Prosser and Chris Walsh to be their new captains, ushering in a new era for the team.

In the fall and spring, Drexel offers men’s and women’s crew. The crew team is one of the best in the country, competing in invitationals across the United States. Last season the men’s team completed one of its most successful seasons of all time, capped off by an invitation to the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in Thames, England. Both men’s and women’s crew begin their fall season Sept. 29.

In the spring, softball will be an interesting team to watch. The Drexel softball team narrowly missed the CAA Tournament last season after losing its final game. Now the softball team has a new coach, Miranda Ervin, who stresses defense and team play, something the softball team has been missing for a few years.

Right now, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams are in season, and they are doing very well. The men’s team is 3-2-1, and the women’s team is 6-1-1. The women will begin a stretch of conference games starting Sept. 21, while the men will start their stretch of conference games Sept. 22 at home.

Drexel has many other teams such as women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s squash, to name a few. Our advice to you is to get involved and go to a game. You won’t regret it.

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The Dragons stuggle to earn a win after a series of losing games. New head coach Miranda Ervin hopes to bring a new energy and a winning attitude to Drexel.

After four consecutive losing seasons with Drexel’s softball team, Kim Camara resigned and Miranda Ervin was named the team’s new head coach.

Ervin has a lengthy resume that starts with her time at North Carolina State University. She was a four-year starter there as catcher, appearing in 222 games and amassing 168 hits and 26 home runs.

Ervin then went on to play professionally for Team Fiorini in Fiorini, Italy. She later served as assistant coach for the team and coached members of the Italian national team.

More recently, Ervin coached the Queens University softball team in Charlotte, N.C. She had an overall record of 50-43 with the Royals, and she guided them to their first 30-win season in six years. Ervin was known as a pitching specialist, helping Chantel Dodge become a two-time Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year award winner.

In her new position Ervin is looking to help the team develop a better program than they have had in the past few years.

“I am extremely excited to be joining the Dragon family and to be a part of the softball program,” Ervin told drexeldragons.com. “I look forward to working with the great people at Drexel and am anxious to meet the team and get things started.”

When it comes to coaching style, she likes to focus on the fundamentals.

“[Take] care of the little things, and it will lead to big results,” Ervin told queensathletics.com in 2009. “It all starts simple. If you can’t do the simple things, then the big things (championships) won’t come.”

Camara coached Drexel for six years resigning after the season ended this spring. Her best season was in 2009, when she coached the team to a 24-21 record.

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On the front page of the Drexel University Dragons’ website, there is a new YouTube video. The two-minute compilation encompasses the wide variety of athletes and teams that make up the athletic program with a central message: “I am a Dragon.”

It is a video geared toward incoming students, alumni and current students, meant to give them an idea of how passionate this school is and how much pride is involved in its athletic program. No two players this year emulated this more than Paige Collings and Samme Givens.

At the Best of the Blue and Gold Banquet May 31, Collings of the softball team and Givens of the men’s basketball team were recognized as recipients of the 2012 John and Mary Semanik Award, which is given to the top male and female senior athletes.

As a player who was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association Team in all four years of her collegiate career, it is the icing on the cake for Collings to win the Semanik Award and finish up a great career as a Dragon.

“It is a great honor to be the recipient of the Mary Semanik Award,” Collings said. “There are so many talented, smart and accomplished female athletes at Drexel, I am surprised my name was even brought up.”

Of course, Collings is just being modest. In her final season on the softball team, she went 48-150 for a .320 average with 23 runs and a school-record 41 RBIs while starting all 48 games behind the plate for the Dragons. She had 20 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, which put her career total at 28, a school record.

“It is easiest to remember a player by their stats, but I think there is more to the game than that,” Collings said. “When people remember me, I hope it is for my work ethic.”

Coming into Drexel as a utility player, Collings made a big splash as a freshman. She went 42-126 for a .333 average and was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. However, she still had work to do in order to stabilize herself at catcher, one of the most important positions on the diamond.

“As a freshman I was really nervous, and I did not really have confidence in myself,” Collings recalled. “By the nature of my position, I grew into a leadership role that I am now very comfortable with.”

Collings made history as a sophomore, setting a Drexel single-season record with eight home runs to go along with 28 RBIs, 83 total bases and a career-best .338 average on 51-151 hitting. She bettered that mark in her junior year when he smashed nine home runs and cemented herself as a premier player in the CAA.

However, Collings gives warning to any player looking to focus on racking up numbers.

“I hope the younger players will try to not be overly concerned with their stats but try to be more internally motivated toward working hard to achieve their own goals,” Collings said.

After graduating this spring with a degree in biology, Collings plans to take some time off to travel and volunteer. She is considering attending medical school but has not made a final decision yet.

The co-recipient of the award also happens to be the first person you see in the “I am a Dragon” YouTube video: Samme Givens. The undersized forward with an oversized will to win and to get the rebound no matter what was the lone senior on the men’s basketball team. He went 29-7 overall (16-2 CAA) this season.

Givens finished his career at Drexel 18th in scoring with 1,226 points and third in rebounding, only behind legends Malik Rose and Bob Stephens, with 1,059 boards.

In his junior season, Givens was the only player in the CAA to average a double-double, posting averages of 12.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-CAA Second Team in his final two seasons at Drexel.

“If we only lose one guy, we had a hell of a guy to lose,” head coach Bruiser Flint said. “It’s not just because Samme gave me a lot of points and rebounds; it’s because he was a pleasure to coach.”

This season the basketball team won 23 of its last 24 regular-season games to win the CAA regular-season title. After winning their first two games in the CAA Tournament, the Dragons’ streak reached a whopping 19 consecutive wins.

“This past summer, everybody was getting in the gym early, and their games would pick up,” Givens said. “You knew this year was going to be a particularly good year, and that’s what you want for your senior year.”

Unfortunately, Drexel lost to Virginia Commonwealth University in the CAA championship game and narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid. The Dragons then won two games in the National Invitation Tournament before falling to the University of Massachusetts in the quarterfinals.

Givens was the unquestioned leader of the team, showcasing extraordinary grit, heart and skill on every possession. He started all 36 games for the Dragons while averaging 11.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and helping the team to earn its first regular-season CAA title in history.

“As a person, Samme is one of the best kids I’ve ever been around,” Flint said. “His stats will speak for himself, but as a person, as a kid, he’s been unbelievable — unbelievable.”

The final shot of the YouTube video is also of Givens, who says: “I am more than an athlete; I am a Dragon.” To the Drexel community he is more than a Dragon; he is a legend.

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“Obviously we wanted it to go the other way,” Allen said. “Our last game that could have gotten us [to the postseason], we played awesome and we went 10 innings. It stinks that it didn’t fall our way, but we were close, [but] that’s not the last memory I’ll [have]at Drexel. I’ll look at the friends I have here and my overall experience … that didn’t make or break my time at Drexel.”

As a senior, Allen ended the year with a 10-15 record, sporting a 3.48 ERA. She also had the most appearances of any pitcher (33), the most games started (25) and the most complete games (17). Her numbers scream “ace of the pitching staff,” but Allen sees it differently.

“We all split pitching time,” Allen said. “Wherever the coach needs me is where I’m going to go. If they need me on the sidelines cheering [the team] on — whatever they need me to do. I don’t look at it as more an ace spot or not an ace spot; I just look at it [as] what can I do for the team.”

Allen has always loved softball, a sport her father first introduced her to.

“I started playing when I was really young,” Allen said. “When I was born my dad had a baseball glove and a helmet already in my crib, so I started playing when I was around 5. I went from tee ball to softball, and I loved it.”

After Allen’s first visit to campus as a young teen, it was her dream to come to Drexel.

“I did a lot of softball clinics [at Drexel] from the time I was a freshman in high school,” Allen said. “I just really loved the school, how it was in the city, and the softball team seemed to be such a close-knit group of girls.”

She said she was honored just to come to Drexel and play softball. She said didn’t expect to have the success she has had.

“Having the opportunity to play here was honestly a dream come true,” Allen said. “It was so much more than I expected, and I got to meet some really great players and some awesome coaches. The experience here will last a lifetime.”

Allen said that one of the things she loves about softball is the close-knit team. She believes that a team that is close off the field will succeed on the field and that it’s important to get along with one’s teammates.

While Allen’s teammates will miss her, she leaves a strong legacy of hard work.

“I think that our class was very dedicated and put heart into everything we did,” Allen said. “It kind of shows that we are hardworking, whether it was in the classroom or outside of the classroom, on the field or off the field. We had goals that we wanted to accomplish no matter [what got in the way].”

Allen has taken sophomore pitcher Shelby Taylor under her wing in her final year. Taylor and Allen have a friendly relationship, which will no doubt help Taylor to be a leader in the years to come.

“We both bounced ideas off of each other,” Allen said. “If I needed help she would be there for me, and if she needed help I would be there for her. The staff in general was always there for each other, whether it was something big or small, on the field of off the field. I think it’s great to have.”

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enior catcher paige Collings fi nished her illustrious carrier with the Dragons by being selected to the fi rst team all-Colonial athletic association.

Collings finished her Drexel softball career as the Dragons’ all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. Even with such high accolades, she is humble and keeps those achievements in the back of her mind.

“I didn’t even realize it when it happened,” Collings said. “I knew at the beginning of the year that I was close to the record, and it was just lingering in the back of my head. I was just trying to get it out of my mind to stop worrying about it. Then I started hitting a lot better, and when it happened I didn’t realize it until after the game when they announced it. It was a pretty awesome feeling.”

But even as one of the most decorated Drexel softball players, Collings wasn’t so sure she was going to make it as a freshman.

“When I first came in as a freshman, I was really nervous and anxious,” Collings admitted. “I didn’t really know what to expect. There was a girl that was two years older than me that was their starting catcher. [She was] First Team [All-CAA], rookie of the year — she was really good. I was nervous that I wouldn’t get much playing time because she was so good and decorated.”

The catcher Collings referred to is Ashley Botelho, who graduated in 2010. Botelho is the Dragons’ all-time hits leader (197) and career batting average leader (.365). Botelho is the same player who Collings overtook for the home run and RBI records.

“She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes,” Collings said. “We became really close, and we’re actually still pretty good friends today. I think that helped me along the way. People like that definitely made the experience easier and a lot more enjoyable for me.”

Even after all of the success Collings has had at Drexel, softball wasn’t her first sport as a child. Growing up in Delta, British Columbia, just 30 minutes outside of Vancouver, softball was hard to come by with no Major League Baseball team and very limited softball coverage.

“A lot more youth is involved in hockey and baseball where I’m from,” Collings said. “I didn’t even like football that much. I liked hockey a lot more.”

Collings’ father and two older sisters introduced her to the sport. Collings said she used to be around the field while her sisters played.

Collings has taken her experience of being mentored by Botelho and used it to mentor underclassmen this year.

“We [the seniors] tried to take in the freshman and underclassman and make them feel more welcome,” Collings said. “Last year we had a freshman catcher come in. At that point I was a junior and the only catcher on the team, so I tried to kind of show her the same thing [Botelho] did for me. I tried to show her [the ropes].”

Collings and the other seniors have important core values that they want to pass on to the women who will be still playing here next year.

“We want them to hold up the reputation of the softball team,” Collings said. “[We are] hardworking, determined, working hard on the field and also in the classroom because we’ve had a good team GPA overall for the past four years. We want to instill those values in the younger girls.”

As for what’s next for Collings, she wants to take a year off from the game and see where it takes her in the future.

“I’m going to take a little bit of a break,” Collings said. “I’m going to give my body a rest because I have some lingering injuries, so I’m going to take a year off, and we’ll see if I want to come back [to the game].”

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Drexel freshman infielder Sylvia Llamas (5) runs to first base to receive a throw from senior pitcher Hillary Allen during a home game at Drexel Softball Field earlier this season. Llamas played in all 48 games as a rookie for the Dragons in 2012, starting 47 of them.

“It was disappointing that we did not make the tournament,” head softball coach Kim Camara said. “But I am proud of the way the team played all year. They fought hard and just came up short.”

When the series began May 4 on Blue Hen turf, the Dragons needed to win one of the day’s two games in order to stay in the running for the postseason. They managed to achieve that goal, losing the first contest 2-1 but shutting out Delaware 2-0 in the second.

It wasn’t until the first game’s third inning that a Blue Hen slid past catcher Paige Collings at home plate by taking advantage of two Drexel errors — the first by Devon Metcalf, who couldn’t get a grip on a fierce grounder, and the second by Sylvia Llamas, who bobbled and dropped a hit. These errors led to runs by Delaware’s Jessica Grisler and Alicea Coy.

In the fifth, the Dragons earned their first and only run of the game when starting pitcher Hillary Allen blasted a double and was propelled home thanks to efforts from her teammates. Though Allen earned a run for her team, her efforts on the mound and swinging a bat weren’t enough to win the game. Allen took the loss for the game even though she didn’t allow a single earned run.

Entering the second game, the Dragons were fired up and ready to compete at a high level. They knew that if they lost the second game, it would be the end of the road for them.

With that mentality, sophomore Shelby Taylor pitched a complete-game shutout.

There was a lot of back-and-forth in the first few innings trying to get on base and score. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that Drexel junior Amanda Bachmann, with Maddison Timoteo on base, slammed a ball out of the park.

These would prove to be the only runs of the contest, giving the Dragons the win they needed to keep their CAA playoff hopes alive.

“Playing as a team is vital to success,” Camara said. “We played as a team, and it allowed us to win close games.”

The Dragons’ regular season came to a close the following day, May 5, when their success ran out on the final pitch of a 10-inning battle to the end.

Though the Blue Hens earned the first run in the bottom of the first, the Dragons quickly answered with two of their own in the second inning — one each from Bachmann and Caprice DeMirjian.

Thanks to efforts from Allen and Bachmann, the Dragons added another run in the fourth inning, but Delaware tied the game with two runs in the sixth. The Blue Hens looked as though they would pull out a win in the seventh, but good Drexel defense and a focused pitcher forced the game into extra innings.

Back-and-forth attempts ended in the 10th when a member of the Blue Hens converted an initial walk into a scoring run, thus concluding the hard-fought battle with a final score of 4-3.

“We missed a few opportunities with people in scoring position, but they played their hearts out this weekend,” Camara said. “[My team] left it all on the field, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

An upside of the contest was that first baseman Jenn Reading recorded her 27th walk of the season to break the Drexel record of 26 set by Barb Svanson in 1989.

Drexel finished its regular season with a record of 22-26 and 7-13 in the CAA.

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Senior Hillary Allen winds up to throw a heater at Vidas Field. The Dragons current ace holds a 10-13 record, with a 3.67 earned run average in 141.1 innings pitched. Drexel is heading into a big weekend series against the rival University of Delaware.

The April 28 doubleheader was split between the two teams, with Drexel taking the second game.

In Game 1, Drexel could not escape an early 5-0 deficit, eventually falling 5-3. Senior pitcher Hillary Allen struggled, allowing eight hits and recording only seven outs before being pulled. Junior Amanda Bachmann and senior Caprice DiMirjian each picked up RBIs in the second inning. The Dragons would get an unearned run in the third, but that would be all.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor pitched four and two-thirds strong innings in relief, allowing just three baserunners to keep George Mason at five runs.

In Game 2, a 4-3 victory, Taylor would continue the fine work on the mound and limited George Mason to three runs in a complete game. That gave Taylor a total of 11.2 innings pitched for the day.

Drexel put up all of its offensive production in one inning, scoring four runs in the second. The highlight was sophomore Maddison Timoteo’s home run, her sixth of the season. It was part of a good day at the plate for her as the designated hitter; she went three-for-three. Senior Paige Collings drove in two runs as well.

Drexel lost the rubber game 13-4. Allen, Taylor and sophomore Jessica O’Hara struggled on the mound, although five Dragon errors behind them led to three unearned runs.

“It was disappointing that we weren’t able to take at least two from them,” head coach Kim Camara said. “We played hard, and I think we should have been able to do that. We played hard and never gave up even when we were down. We kept fighting back.”

Collings hit her eighth home run of the season and 28th of her career in the April 28 game. The all-time home run leader for the Dragons, she and four other seniors were playing in the final home game of their careers.

Collings, Allen, DiMirjian, Devon Metcalf and Elena Fravel were honored as the five departing seniors on the team’s Senior Day. It’s a group Camara and the rest of the team have enjoyed.

“These seniors were a really, really special class,” Camara said. “They are great people, and a lot of them have started for a few years. … They are the heart and soul of our program. It was a special day for us to honor them.”

DiMirjian appreciates the team-first attitude that each fellow senior possesses.

“[We are] talented, hardworking, and most importantly, team players,” DiMirjian said. “My class is full of selfless people, both on and off the field. To us, it isn’t about how each of us succeeds individually, but it is about how the team performs.”

The seniors and the rest of the squad will need to help the team perform May 4-5 during a do-or-die series for the Dragons. They will travel to the University of Delaware to face the Blue Hens; it will be the team’s final hope to make the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

The series starts with a doubleheader May 4 and ends May 5 with the season finale. The Blue Hens are tied with Drexel for fifth place in the CAA and are in the same spot as Drexel, fighting for their playoff lives.

Drexel goes into the weekend 1 1/2 games behind Towson University, which was swept last weekend by Hofstra University. The Tigers face James Madison University, the second-place team in the conference, for their final three games.

“We obviously need some help from James Madison,” Camara said.

Two games back in the win column, Drexel essentially needs to win two more games than Towson this weekend. The two teams cannot finish in a tie.

The players understand the scenario and seem confident.

“The mindset is absolutely that we need to come home with at least two victories to have a chance at the CAA Tournament,” DiMirjian said. “But more importantly than that, we know that we can come out of this weekend against Delaware with three victories.”

DiMirjian and the seniors look to avoid having this series be the last one of their careers.

“We know and we believe in our hearts that we are more than capable of winning this weekend,” DiMirjian said. “And having that belief and the passion that our team has, we are already at an advantage. If we go out and perform our best, this won’t be my last weekend playing softball as a Dragon.”

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After a recent losing skid, the Dragons were able to take two of three games against rivals the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The Dragons kicked off the weekend by extending the losing streak before they were able to end it. Drexel fell 4-2 to the Seahawks in the first game of the April 21 doubleheader.

Drexel led for the first few innings after Jenn Reading drove in a run with a deep drive off the wall in the first inning. UNCW would take control of the game for good, however, after Stacey Pinno’s three-run home run off Hillary Allen. Amanda Bachmann hit her first home run of the season in the losing effort.

Game 2 saw the Dragons back in the win column after overcoming an early deficit. The game didn’t start off on the right note, as Kelsey Eddinger sent Shelby Taylor’s first pitch of the game over the left field wall.

Drexel and Taylor would rebound, as she would strike out 12 batters the rest of the way en route to her 10th victory. They took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Maddison Timoteo hit a go-ahead blast to center field. An insurance run was added in the fifth before Taylor finished the game, closing out a 3-1 victory.

Playing in the cold rain April 22, Drexel finished off UNCW early. Riding the 12 runs they scored in the first three innings, the Dragons took the game 12-2 in five innings.

Maddison Timoteo and Paige Collings had the big blows, hitting a grand slam and three-run home run, respectively. That would be enough offense for both Allen and the eight-run mercy rule, escaping the weather conditions early.

The win for Allen, a senior, was her 10th of the season, giving her four straight seasons at Drexel with 10 or more victories. Kim Camara, head coach of the softball team, has been Allen’s coach for the pitcher’s entire tenure.

“Hillary has had a stellar career here,” Camara said. “She has thrown a lot of innings for us in all of her years and has shown a lot of grit and determination. She is a special kid who hates losing as much as she likes winning.”

Drexel (20-22) improved its CAA record to 5-9 with the two wins on the weekend. The Dragons have six conference games remaining on the schedule. It’s been a struggle, but Camara has still found the games competitive despite what the record may be.

“I don’t think the win-loss column exactly reflects the competitiveness of these games,” she said. “We compete in a tough conference where you have to bring your best every single game.”

Three more CAA games will take place April 28-29 at home against George Mason University. The Dragons will play a doubleheader April 28 and one game April 29. The Patriots will be taking a 13-game losing streak into Saturday’s games.

It will be the last set of home games for the Dragons, who have played well to a 9-6 record on their home diamond.

“Home field is always an advantage,” Camara said. ”The girls know the field and how to play on it to be successful.”

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The Drexel softball team recently lost games against Georgia State University, the University of Pennsylvania and Iona College.

The series started with a doubleheader in Atlanta. Senior Hillary Allen got the start in Game 1. The Dragons got on the board in the first inning when Allen hit a comebacker to the pitcher that was mishandled, allowing speedy senior Devon Metcalf to score. The Panthers escaped the inning without any further damage, but the Dragons held the 1-0 lead.

Allen kept Georgia State off the board until the fifth and sixth innings. The Panthers scored single runs in both innings, giving them their first lead of the game. In the seventh inning, Metcalf hit a dramatic game-tying home run, which ended up sending the game into extra innings. The Dragons were held scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, giving Georgia State a chance at a walk-off win early. The Panthers’ Brenna Morrissey connected on a pitch from Allen to give them the 3-2 win.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor got the start in the second game, but she was pulled after just 1.2 innings pitched. Taylor gave up four unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning to put the Dragons behind 0-4. Sophomore Jessica O’Hara entered the game for Taylor and gave up four more runs for the rest of the game. The Dragons were blanked by Georgia State’s McCall Langford in their 0-8 loss.

In the final game of the series, Allen got the start once again. The Panthers got off to a fast start when Callie Alford hit a three-run home run in the first inning. The Dragons were able to score one run in the fourth inning, but that would be the only run the Dragons would score. Georgia State hit another three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, ending the Dragons’ hopes of a comeback. Drexel lost the game by a score of 1-6, completing the Panthers’ sweep.

After a few days off, the Dragons faced the neighboring University of Pennsylvania (24-14, 8-4 Ivy League South Division). O’Hara got the start against Penn and struggled early in just her second start of the season. The Quakers got on the board early with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. The Dragons fought back in the top of the second inning with two runs of their own. Drexel was able to load the bases before senior infielder Caprice DeMirjian chopped a ball back to the middle of the infield, which Penn starter Mikenzie Voves mishandled. Everyone was safe, allowing a run to score. Sophomore Comfort Ahonkhai then worked a long at-bat into a walk, plating another run for the Dragons to tie the game at 2-2.

Drexel then scored three more runs in a wild third inning. After loading the bases, junior Amanda Bachmann hit a line drive up the middle that allowed junior Jenn Reading to score. As the throw came in from center field, Penn first baseman Karina Rios mishandled the cutoff, deflecting the ball into foul territory. The error allowed sophomore catcher Maddison Timoteo and freshman infielder Sylvia Llamas to score, making it 5-2 Drexel.

The Quakers came back in the bottom of the fourth inning with four runs of their own, ending O’Hara’s day and allowing Taylor to come into the game in relief. The Dragons tied things up at 6-6 in the top of the fifth inning with a run of their own.

Drexel scored another run in the top of the sixth inning to take the 7-6 lead, but Penn orchestrated a comeback in the bottom of the sixth to score two runs. That would seal the Dragons’ 7-8 loss.

The next day the Dragons welcomed Iona College (21-19, 4-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Association) to the Drexel softball field. Taylor got the start in this one and was tagged with a run in the first inning. Drexel came back and scored a run of its own in the second inning. The game went into extra innings tied at one apiece until the eighth inning. Iona scored two runs in the top of the inning, while the Dragons weren’t able to score any runs to answer, sealing the 1-3 loss.

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Drexel senior catcher Paige Collings (above) broke two program records during the Dragons 10-2 defeat of La Salle University with six RBIs and two home runs.

“We were always hitting. Now we are just stringing them together a little more and hitting with some more confidence,” head coach Kim Camara said. “We seem to be hitting our stride offensively just at the right time.”

The Dragons hosted a three-game series against rival Towson University (16-21, 3-6 Colonial Athletic Association) and came away with a 2-1 series win. The Dragons continued their winning ways with a 10-2 trouncing of crosstown rival La Salle University (6-27, 0-8 Atlantic 10).

Senior Hillary Allen got the start in Game 1 of the April 9 doubleheader. Towson struck first in the top of the second inning, but the Dragons answered right back with two home runs by freshman infielder Sylvia Llamas in the bottom of the inning. Allen and the Dragons’ defense shut down the Tigers for the rest of the game. Drexel only gave up five hits in the game, while Allen struck out seven batters, going the distance in the 2-1 win.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor got the start tn the second game of the doubleheader. The Dragons struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Both Llamas and sophomore catcher Maddison Timoteo successfully reached base to start the inning. Senior infielder Caprice DiMirjian then hit both runners in with the help of a Tigers error, giving Drexel the 2-0 lead.

Towson finally got on the board in the fifth inning when Taylor walked the first batter she faced and then gave up a two-run home run to bring the game to a 2-2 tie. The Dragons responded in the bottom half of the inning by scoring one run to regain the 3-2 lead. The Tigers tied the game in the top of the seventh inning, but the Dragons prevented the game from going into extra innings when a Towson infielder misplayed a ball hit by junior Hanna Parrish to bring home the winning run. Taylor was awarded the win to bring her record to 9-7 on the season.

The Dragons didn’t fare well in the final game of the series. Allen got the start once again, but the story of the game was Towson junior pitcher Katie Lingmai, who threw a no-hitter. Lingmai’s day didn’t get off to an ideal start, however. Parrish led off the bottom of the first inning when she popped a ball up to right field. The right fielder misplayed the ball and committed an error that would allow Parrish to reach third base. That was the Dragons’ best scoring opportunity of the day, while Lingmai allowed just one more baserunner in the 0-2 Drexel loss.

“I thought we played very well against Towson. They were three well-played games by both teams,” Camara said. “This is a tough conference, and Towson is a tough team. To beat a team three times is difficult, so we are happy to walk away winning the series.”

After a few days of rest, the Dragons returned to action April 10 to host La Salle. Taylor got the start against the crosstown rivals, but the star of this game was senior catcher Paige Collings. Collings’ six RBIs and two home runs helped her to become the Dragons’ all-time leading home run hitter and run producer. The Dragons fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning but came out on fire in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs. Taylor gave up just one earned run the rest of the way while the Dragons’ hitters started a parade to home plate to earn a 10-2 win.

“The team played great,” Camara said. “We hit the ball very well, one to nine in the lineup. Defense was solid, as was the pitching. It was a fundamental team win.”

The Dragons faced another crosstown rival when they played St. Joseph’s University April 12. Allen once again went the distance and earned another win. Both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning, when St. Joe’s struck first. The Hawks were able to score just one run off an error by Reading at first base. The Dragons came back in the top of the fifth inning and scored four runs capped off by a three-run homer by Reading. Drexel scored three more runs in the seventh inning to secure the 7-4 win over the Hawks.

Next up for the Dragons is a three-game series in Atlanta against Georgia State University, beginning with a doubleheader April 14 and finishing with the third game of the series April 15.

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Junior infi elder Jenn Reading is currently the Dragons’ leader in home runs with seven and sports a .338 batting average. Drexel will take on Towson April. 7.

“We have played some great games and beaten some good teams this so far this year. I am excited for the rest of the season,” head coach Kim Camara said. “We played some really tough teams in the beginning of the year, and that has certainly helped us improve and get better.”

In their quest for a winning record, the Dragons traveled to Hempstead, N.Y. April 1 to face rival Hofstra University (15-12, 5-0 CAA) in a doubleheader. The Pride are currently in first place in the CAA with the only undefeated conference record. The Dragons entered their matchup riding a three-game winning streak consisting of a doubleheader sweep against Bucknell University and a shutout of George Washington University.

Senior pitcher Hillary Allen got the start in the first game, and she received run support early with a home run by senior shortstop Devon Metcalf in the first inning. The home run was Metcalf’s second of the year. Drexel wasn’t able to push any more runs across the plate for the rest of the game, while Hofstra steadily scored runs in the next four innings. Allen was tagged with the loss and seven earned runs, while Hofstra star pitcher Olivia Galati held the Dragons to just one hit for the rest of the game. Hofstra came away with the 8-1 win.

In the second game against Hofstra, the Dragons took the lead in the first inning again with sophomore Shelby Taylor on the mound. Metcalf got things started once again with a single up the middle. Hofstra pitcher Erin Wade then walked senior catcher Paige Collings to put Metcalf in scoring position. Junior Jenn Reading then hit a liner up the middle to send the speedy Metcalf around third to give Drexel the 1-0 lead.

The Dragons’ bats were silent until the fifth inning while the Pride racked up runs — one in the first inning, two in the third and four in the fourth — to give themselves a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning. Drexel managed to fight back by scoring three runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore outfielder Comfort Ahonkhai got things started with a bunt single up the third-base line — she was able to take second base when Hofstra’s third baseman threw the ball away trying to catch Ahonkhai at first. Ahonkhai then moved to third base with a groundout by junior Hanna Parrish. Metcalf continued her productive day by chopping a ball back to the mound, allowing Ahonkhai to showcase her speed and score. Collings then hit a double off the wall in right-center field, allowing Metcalf to score all the way from first base. Drexel scored one more run in the inning off a Hofstra error, making the score 7-4. The Dragons couldn’t score any more runs, while Hofstra scored four more to secure the 4-11 loss for Drexel.

“We played okay against Hofstra,” Camara said. “They are a tough team. To beat them you have to be very good in all three aspects of the game (hitting, fielding and pitching). Throughout the doubleheader we just couldn’t put all three together at the same time.”

After a few days off, the Dragons welcomed Lafayette College to Drexel April 5. The Leopards (5-17, 0-4 Patriot League) entered the game having won three of their last 10 games. Reading, who has a team-high seven home runs on the season, was looking to keep her hot streak going. She has been the Dragons’ star this year with a .338 batting average and 18 runs batted in. Collings, who is having a down year by her standards, is batting .299 with just four home runs and a team-leading 24 RBIs.

“Jenn is a very good hitter,” Camara said. “She worked very hard this summer and offseason to improve at the plate. She has become smarter and more confident each year she has played at Drexel.”

The Dragons got off to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, led by a Collings RBI single to center field. Lafayette scored two runs in the top of the third inning to cut the deficit to two. The Dragons responded in the bottom of fourth inning with three runs of their own to bring their lead to 6-2. Metcalf had a particularly good third inning, hitting a single to right field to bring in two runs. The Panthers scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning, but they couldn’t manage any more, while the Dragons sealed the 9-4 win.

The Dragons have a three-game series at home against Towson University April 6-7.

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A Drexel player rounds third base during a home game at the Drexel Softball Field last season. This season, the Dragons have been up and down, with their overall record sitting at 6-10. The Dragons have gone 3-2 in their last five games, including going 3-1 at the War Eagle Classic in Alabama.

Yet on the other side of the spectrum, the Dragons were blanked 3-0 in their home opener against Georgetown University March 14. The result snapped a two-game winning streak, which came against the previously mentioned Evansville and Louisiana Tech, and also saw them fall to 6-10 on the season overall.

Six teams took part in the War Eagle Classic, and Drexel finished an impressive second at 3-1. Things started well for the Dragons in Alabama as they defeated Presbyterian 6-5 March 9. A three-run fourth inning and a two-run fifth inning propelled the Dragons to a 5-2 lead after five innings. After adding a sixth run in the seventh inning, they withstood a three-run surge from Presbyterian in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for the win, although not before Presbyterian had the bases loaded with one out. Luckily for Drexel, they hit into two groundouts caused by sophomore pitcher Shelby Allen to squeak by with a 6-5 win.

However, circumstances were vastly different in the second game for Drexel against the Tigers. Simply put, Auburn was a class above the Dragons on the day. The game was effectively done and dusted after the top of the first; Auburn scored nine runs in the inning, seven of which were giving up by senior starting pitcher Hillary Allen, who was knocked out of the game before even recording an out. The offensive efficiency of Auburn was simply too strong to contain for Allen. In addition to giving up seven runs, she also gave up three hits, walked three Auburn batters and hit one as well. Auburn added three more runs in the fifth inning to complete the 12-0 shutout. Not only did Auburn dominate offensively, their pitching stifled Drexel as well, as the Dragons could only get one hit off of Auburn senior starter Jenee Loree, who also struck out five Drexel batters.

Nevertheless, the Dragons rebounded nicely, winning their final two games against Evansville and Louisiana Tech.

The Evansville matchup was a pitchers’ duel, as both teams combined for a grand total of 15 hits — eight for Drexel and seven for Evansville. The one-two pitching tandem of sophomore Shelby Taylor and Allen combined for the eight-inning shutout, with Taylor getting five strikeouts in 5.1 innings and Allen, with the win, striking out three in 2.2 innings pitched.

The winning run for the Dragons came in extra innings in the bottom of the eighth. Due to tiebreaker rules, Drexel started out the inning with a runner on second base — was senior infielder Devin Metcalf. After two walks and a single, Drexel had an opportunity to win the game with runners on first and third. Albeit, the winning run came home not via a base hit or a walk but through a hit by pitch, as junior infielder and outfielder Amanda Bachmann was inexplicably hit by a pitch, driving home Metcalf and giving Drexel a closely contested 1-0 win.

Drexel won another extra-inning game the next day against Louisiana Tech, coming back from a 5-3 deficit in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings. In the eighth inning, Drexel scored two runs to take a 7-5 lead and held off a rally by Louisiana Tech for the 7-6 victory.

Upon returning home to Philadelphia, the Dragons were looking to extend their winning streak to three games in their home opener versus Georgetown. Unfortunately, Georgetown would have none of that, and the Hoyas shut out Drexel 3-0. The game was scoreless through two when Georgetown took the lead. Hoyas freshman starting pitcher Megan Hyson got the ball rolling with a one-hit double. She would score two batters later on a wild pitch from Taylor.

Despite the fact that Georgetown would later add two runs in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively, it could have easily been more if not for the fine pitching efforts of Taylor and Allen. Despite giving up an RBI bloop single to left-center in the fourth, Taylor held her nerve and got out of the rest of the inning relatively unscathed, stranding runners at second and third via a rundown for the second out and a groundout for the third.

Allen did her part in the next two innings, giving up no runs while striking out two. Perhaps unluckily, Georgetown managed a single run in the top of the seventh inning to make it 3-0. Speaking after the game, head coach Kim Camara talked about the misfortunes faced by Drexel’s pitching.

“Georgetown just executed,” she said. “Shelby and Hillary pitched well. They were able to score the runs they needed.”

Conversely, Drexel’s bats were silent on the afternoon due to the dominating pitching efforts of Megan Hyson. Hyson went the full seven, striking out five while allowing only four hits and two walks. Camara attributed the Dragons’ offensive difficulties to their failure to adjust.

“We never adjusted to their pitching,” Camara said. “[Hyson] pitched a great game. We didn’t challenge her as much as we should have. Ultimately, we’re good enough to score two or three runs. We’re a good enough offensive team; it just didn’t happen today.”

Drexel had the chance to score in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings but came away empty-handed each time. The sixth inning saw Drexel’s best opportunity to score with a single by Collins and a walk by Jenn Redding, giving the Dragons runners on first and second with two outs. Unfortunately, Allen struck out to end the inning.

Drexel will look to turn things around in this 2012 season March 16-17 at the Hampton Inn Camel Stampede Tournament on the campus of Campbell College in Buies Creek, N.C. They will play consecutive doubleheaders against North Carolina Central University and host Campbell College.

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Senior Devon Metcalf tags out St. Joseph’s runner at the base. The Dragons are heading to Auburn, Al. to compete in the War Eagle Classic March 9-14. Some of the competitors they will face include Louisiana Tech University and Georgetown University.

Senior pitcher Hillary Allen got the start for Drexel in the first game of the doubleheader against Rider. The game started as an intense pitchers’ duel with both teams unable to get a hit until the third inning. The Broncs finally broke through in the fourth inning with the game’s first run.

Rider freshman Gina McCool got things started with a double. Then, junior Alyssa Paul grounded out to second but advanced the runner to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Junior Sam Pugh then hit a double to score McCool, leaving the Dragons down 0-1. Rider’s senior pitcher, Rachael Matreale, managed to bring a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when junior Hanna Parrish was able to get Drexel’s first hit. The Dragons would only manage one more hit in the game, while Rider would score one more run in the fifth inning to secure Drexel’s 0-2 loss.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor started the second game of the doubleheader and got early run support. Parrish led off the game for the Dragons by hitting a triple to left-center. Senior Devon Metcalf then flied out to left field, while Parrish tagged up and scored to give Drexel its first run and first lead of the day.

The Dragons managed to score a run in the second inning as well, following an interesting series of events. After singling with one out, senior Caprice DeMirjian advanced to third on a throwing error by McCool. With DeMirjian on third and freshman Sylvia Llamas on first, Drexel performed a successful double steal to widen the lead to 2-0.

Drexel continued to pour it on the in the third inning by scoring two more runs. Metcalf led off the inning by drawing a walk and stealing a base, while senior Paige Collings also drew a walk to set up head coach Kim Camara’s next aggressive call.

Camara called for another double steal and was successful, but the throw from the catcher to second base sailed into center field, allowing Metcalf to stroll home for another run. Rider would then load the bases with two more walks and allow a line drive single to center by DeMirjian to drive home Collings. Rider escaped the rest of the inning without any more damage, but the Dragons left with a 4-0 lead.

Success continued for the Dragons in the fourth inning with two Rider errors leading to two unearned runs. They added another run when Collings hit a double and scored on an infield hit by DeMirjian. In the fifth inning, the Dragons added three more runs, capped off by a two-run single by Collings, bringing Drexel’s lead to 10-0.

Rider scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth, all off of junior pitcher Shyann Beach, who entered the game in relief for Taylor. Rider wouldn’t score any more runs after the fifth, and the Dragons emerged victorious 10-5.

Collings had an outstanding nightcap, driving in a team-high two runs in four at-bats. She currently leads the Dragons with eight RBIs on the season and an improving .233 batting average. Parrish, Drexel’s leadoff hitter and leader in batting average (.316), had a good game as well, with two hits and three runs scored.

The Dragons will travel to Auburn, Ala. March 9 to compete in the War Eagle Classic, hosted by Auburn University.

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The Drexel softball team secured their first win of the season against Rider University at the Spartan Classic, by a score of 7-0. The Dragons played Rider again in the tournament and won 12-0.

They started out splitting two games Feb. 24, defeating Rider University 7-0 but falling to the University of Utah 8-2, in what was a rain-shortened five-inning game.

Hillary Allen tossed a four-hit shutout for the Dragons’ first win of the season. It didn’t hurt that teammates Paige Collings and Jenn Reading both had home runs.

The Dragons fell behind early to Utah and never recovered. The Utes put up all eight of their runs in the first four innings. Hanna Parrish picked up two of the four total hits for Drexel offensively. Caprice DeMirjian was able to score the first run for the Dragons with some small ball. She followed her leadoff walk by scoring on a passed ball, without the assist of any hit during her trip around the bases.

On the second day of competition Feb. 25, Drexel once again had split results. The Dragons fell to the hosting University of North Carolina-Greensboro 5-1 before topping Rider once again, 12-0.

Shelby Taylor was not able to pick up back-to-back wins, as she fell to UNCG as the losing pitcher. Allen surrendered only one earned run (two total) but was not able to make it out of the third inning.

Drexel only managed to put together four hits against UNCG. The team got its only run of the game when Sylvia Llamas drove home her double-play partner, shortstop Devon Metcalf, on a walk in the fourth inning. At the time, it cut the deficit in half and made it a one-run game, but UNCG would later score three insurance runs in the seventh to pull away with the victory.

Drexel bounced back in a big way against Rider by putting up 12 runs, including 11 in the first two innings. Maddison Timoteo and Metcalf each homered, and Parrish picked up three hits in her three at-bats from the leadoff spot.

Taylor had a comeback of her own by pitching a two-hit shutout just one day after falling to Utah.

Drexel outscored the Broncs 19-0 over the two-day span and outhit them 17-6.

For the final match of the Spartan Classic Feb. 26, the Dragons found themselves on the other end of a shutout — the losing side. Utah once again defeated them, this time by a score of 4-0.

Jessica O’Hara was tagged with the loss, allowing three earned runs in five and two-thirds innings. Offensively, Drexel could not provide any run support and backed her with just three hits.

The Dragons saw positive moments at the plate, in the field and on the mound over the weekend. The problem? These moments all occurred at different times.

“We have had great moments in hitting, pitching and defense. We just need to get them all to be consistent,” head coach Kim Camara said.

The Dragons appeared to be playing better in comparison to their 0-4 record at the Pirate Classic, just two weeks before the Spartan Classic. With that said, the team still has a lot of work to do and will look to improve its game as a whole.

“We need to pull all three aspects of the game together at the same time,” Camara said. “We are playing better each weekend. We just need to make some improvements at the plate and on the mound.”

The Dragons will take the field March 6 in Lawrenceville, N.J. for a doubleheader against Rider. There could not be a better opponent for the Dragons, as they will put their consecutive shutout streak against Rider on the line while working toward firing on all cylinders before conference play begins in a few weeks.

“We are playing well as a team,” Camara said. “We are all focused on our games Tuesday against Rider and look to continue forward in the positive direction.”

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Senior catcher/infielder Paige Collings swings at an incoming pitch. Collings is off a shaky start this season with a .167 batting average and three strikeouts.

“It is good to have this layoff right now,” Camara said. “We had an opportunity to go out and evaluate ourselves this past weekend. Now we can take the 10 off days and work on the skills we need to work on and be well rested going into next weekend.”

Camara’s theory may hold true, as it is still very early in the season. The chance to play in real games and take a step back to evaluate the team’s issues will be invaluable in the coming weeks.

Drexel will travel to Greensboro, N.C. to participate in the Spartan Classic. The Dragons will play a doubleheader in the first day of competition against Rider University and the University of Utah. In the second day of action, Drexel will face the hosting University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a possible championship game if all goes well.

During the extended break, Camara made sure the team didn’t lose its edge with practices emphasizing swing mechanics and small-ball.

“We worked a lot on staying sharp defensively and making a few tweaks to our swings offensively,” Camara said. “After our last weekend out, we needed to really focus on getting our offense where we want it to be.”

The Dragons will really need to get things going offensively at the Spartan Classic. They scored a total of 10 runs in the Pirate Classic, while their opponents scored a total of 32 runs. Being able to keep up with the competition and possibly supply run support for their pitching staff will be something to watch in these next few games.

“Each team we play this weekend is very different,” Camara said. “We need to execute our offensive and defensive game plans and really focus on the small stuff like bunting and baserunning. Those two things can make a huge difference in our game.”

Upcoming doubleheaders may prove to be a source of distress for the Dragons. At the Pirate Classic, all of their games were doubleheaders, and that didn’t fall in Drexel’s favor — possibly sparking worry for the Spartan Classic. When asked about the team’s doubleheader struggles, Camara emphasized the importance of game-to-game focus.

“We play doubleheaders all the time. We are used to them,” Camara said. “Getting refocused from game to game is something we talk about in practice often.”

Offensive woes and doubleheaders aside, the Dragons could make a run in the Spartan Classic. The prepared and well-rested team will try to put together some slump breakers and get back on track with its season.

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“I saw a lot of improvement from the [first] game to the last game,” head coach Kim Camara said. “Yes, we did not necessarily get the results we wanted, but I saw a lot of fight in this team. Two of the four games there were quite a few lead changes, and we had the tying runs on base in the seventh.”

Dragons senior Paige Collings got off to a slow start, batting a lowly .167 and striking out three times over the weekend. Some unexpected players had a strong showing at the Pirate Classic — freshman Slyvia Llamas, junior Jenn Reading and senior Caprice DeMirjian all hit over .300. Llamas had one RBI and drew two walks. Senior Hillary Allen also didn’t fare too well in her starts. She came away with an 8.38 ERA in 9.2 innings of work. She started two games and had one relief appearance. Despite being a pitcher, Allen is also known for her prowess at the plate — but even she didn’t have a productive day, batting just .143 and striking out three times.

“All three freshmen are a nice addition to our lineup,” Camara said. “Each will contribute in different ways. This weekend Maggy Fermo had some really gritty at-bats and found her way on base with her speed. Sylvia showed amazing discipline at the plate and a solid glove at second base. Jill [Popek] jumped in at third base, which is not her first position, and came up clutch in her first at-bat of the year.”

In their first day of competition, the Dragons faced the Cavaliers followed by the Golden Griffins in a doubleheader.

Sophomore Shelby Taylor got the start against Virginia and went six innings, giving up eight hits and four earned runs in the loss. For much of the game, Taylor worked her way in and out of trouble but held her own against Virginia’s Rachel Gillen, as both threw four scoreless innings. In the fifth inning, Taylor retired the Cavaliers’ first two batters before they broke through and finally scored three runs. Virginia scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to widen their lead to 5-0. The Dragons tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. Allen started things off with a line drive single. Reading then knocked a single of her own to put runners on first and second. In her first collegiate at-bat, freshman Maggy Fermo knocked a line drive past third to load the bases. Llamas then stepped to the plate, already with two hits in her first start as a Dragon, drawing a walk to score Drexel’s first run. DeMirjian was next to bat and hit a line drive to score another run, keeping the bases loaded. With two runs already scored and the bases loaded, the Dragons were hoping that they could score at least three more runs to tie the game up. Drexel couldn’t capitalize, though, and failed to score any more runs in the inning, sealing the 5-2 loss.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Dragons faced Canisius. Allen got the start against the Golden Griffins and gave up two early runs. The Dragons couldn’t overcome the early deficit and only scored one run in the entire game. Canisius scored a run in the third inning and one more in the sixth to seal the 4-1 win.

With the Dragons still looking for their first win of the season, Drexel faced another doubleheader in the second day of the Pirate Classic.

The Dragons faced Virginia in their first matchup of the day. Allen was awarded the start against the Cavaliers but was chased early after allowing six earned runs on six hits in only 1.1 innings of work. Trailing 6-0 in the third inning, junior Shyann Beach took over on the mound and pitched two scoreless innings. In the fifth inning, Beach gave up eight runs (seven earned), giving Virginia a 14-0 lead and the ultimate win.

In their final game of the tournament, the Dragons faced the hosting ECU Pirates. Taylor got the start in this game and fared well for the first three innings. Drexel’s offense finally broke out in this one, scoring two runs in the second inning to gain their first lead of the season 2-1. In the fourth inning the Pirates plated four runs, giving them the 8-3 lead. The Dragons then came up with three runs in the top of the fifth but couldn’t overcome the big deficit and lost 9-7. Reading hit Drexel’s first home run of the season while Fermo went 3-4 with two runs scored.

This isn’t the way the Dragons wanted to start their season: with Allen and Collings struggling. However, the season is still young.

“Both Hillary and Paige had tough weekends in the books, but they tallied good at-bats and showed some nice power,” Camara said. “They will be fine.”

The Drexel softball team’s next action will be Feb. 24 at the Spartan Classic in Greensboro, N.C.

“It is good to have this layoff right now,” Camara said. “We had an opportunity to go out and evaluate ourselves this past weekend. Now we can take the 10 off days and work on the skills we need to work on, and be well rested going into next weekend.”

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Drexel senior catcher/infielder Paige Collings jogs to first base. Collings finished last season leading the Dragons in batting average (.333) and home runs (9).

The Dragons had anoverallunderwhelming 2011 season finishing with a 15-28 (7-14,ColonialAthleticAssociation)record,goodfor seventh placeinthe CAA.Sincethen, Drexel has lost five seniors,whichincludesKelly Downes, Laura Stagliano, Ellen Boundy, Katy Harrington and Rachel Campbell. Of the five, Campbellwillbe missed the most withher.305 battingaverage, three home runs and 22 runs battedin. Theywillalso be sad to see Stagliano’s speed on the base-path go, as she stole 24 basesin25 attemptslastseason.

Asmuchasthey’ll misstheirseniors, the Dragonswillbe welcoming three freshman, Maggy Fermo, Sylvia Llamas and Jill Popek. Of the freshman, Llamas and Popek look to be the most promising new teammates. As a sophomore, Llamas helpedArchbishopMitty HighSchoolachieve an undefeated season and a rankingastheNo.1 softballteaminthe nation by ESPN. Popek, a four-year letter winner atBishopAhr HighSchool, currently holds the highschool’s home runrecord, and the single season records for battingaverageand home runs.

Head coach Kim Camara thinksbecauseof the small freshman class,eachnew playerwillhave anequalopportunity to contribute.

“We have a small freshmen class, so I think they allwillcontribute,” Camara said. “Sylvia Llamas and Maggy Fermowillbring us some speed and steady gloves, and Jill Popekwilladd some power.”

Along with the newcomers, the Dragonswillhave 13 returning playersin2012. Of the 13, seniors Paige Collings and Hillary Allenwilllook to be the most significant contributors this season.Lastseason the catcher, Collings, lead theteaminvirtually every offensive category, with a .333 battingaverage, nine home runs and 33 runs battedin. Allen sported an 11-11recordinthe circle during the 2011 season, with a 2.93earned run average, and 16 complete games. Allen was also a threat at the plate with a .309 battingaverage, four home runs and 21 runs battedin. Camara loves the experience and leadershipthatherseniors bring.

“We have a really experiencedseniorclass,” Camara said. “All year they have shown great leadership and look for all of them to contribute. Obviously wewilllook to Paige Collings and Hillary Allenwhowere both firstteamAll-CAAlastyear.”

Anotherpitcherthatwillbe looked at as a key contributor comingintothis season is sophomore pitcher Shelby Taylor. Taylor had a 4-12 record, with a 4.99 ERA and 60 strikeouts. Taylor stepped up as a freshman by making 23 appearances, starting 13 games, and pitching seven complete games.

The Dragonswillopentheirseason at the Pirate ClassicinGreenville, N.C. Drexelwillplay two doubleheadersintwo days. Theywillface the University ofVirginiatwice, CanisiusCollegeand the hostingEastCarolina University Piratesina total ofthree days of competition. Camara likes the Dragons chances to start the year.Sincewe’ve had such nice weather thiswinterinPhiladelphia, she feels happythatthey’ve been able to practice outside.

“We are excited to get out thisweekendand face some great competition,” Camara said. “We have been lucky enough to practice outside often and I know that will make a big difference.”

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Drexel sophmore attackman Nick Trizano and Robert Church play offence against Delaware

Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team

The Philadelphia Inquirer has chosen to honor seven different Drexel student-athletes by naming them to the Academic All-Area Team. These student-athletes were able to maintain a 3.2 grade-point average while also excelling on the field, court or in the water.

The athletes honored were rowers Lorenzo Albala, Randall Lee and Jacob Sloan; pitcher Hillary Allen and catcher Paige Collings from the softball team; tennis star Nikoloz Kurdadze; and attackman Robert Church from the men’s lacrosse team.

Rowing

The Drexel women’s varsity eight boat stroke, junior Elizabeth Bratton, has been named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Women’s Rowing Scholar Athlete of the Year. After placing fourth at the CAA Championships and second in the consolation finals at the Dad Vail Regatta, she earned All-CAA honors as well.

Women’s Basketball

As previously reported, the Drexel women’s basketball team will be participating in the preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament. The Dragons will open their season as host to Long Island University Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at the DAC.

If the Dragons win the game, they will take on the winner of the Manhattan at Hartford game. Other teams in the Preseason WNIT are national powers Baylor and Notre Dame along with Akron, Chattanooga, Detroit, ETSU, Howard, Indiana State, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Before beginning their season at the DAC in Philadelphia, the women will travel overseas for an early start to their season in Italy. They will play four games in Rome and Florence. \ The Dragons had previously traveled to Spain for the same type of preseason trip in 2007.

Wrestling

New Drexel wrestling head coach Matt Azevedo has made his first two hires for his staff. Azevedo has hired Zack Sheaffer and Todd Schavrien as his assistant coaches.

Sheaffer was most recently the assistant coach and interim head coach at Clarion University. Before that, he was an assistant at Limestone College. He is also a former heavyweight All-American as an undergrad at Pittsburgh.

Shavrien recently graduated from the University of Missouri. He was the 141-pound Big 12 champion in 2011, along with earning All-American status.

Field Hockey

Drexel head field hockey coach Denise Zelenak served as the New Jersey High Performance team head coach at the Junior Women’s National Championships. Zelenak led her team to its first ever championship title. Her team won 4-0-1 in the tournament, and they were helped to that record by incoming Drexel freshmen Christina Conrad and Meghan Plank.

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