Softball halts skid against W&M | The Triangle

Softball halts skid against W&M

After a recent losing skid, the Dragons were able to take two of three games against rivals the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
The Drexel softball team put an end to its six-game Colonial Athletic Association losing streak April 21-22, taking two of three from 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.”