Mount Pleasant, S.C. – The College of Charleston bounced back from a heartbreaking loss in the opener behind the shut out pitching of Sydney Shipley in a 6-0 win that gained the Cougars a doubleheader split with Delaware at Patriots Point.
The Blue Hens took a 5-4 victory in the first game on a three-run homer by Mariah Kondravy with two outs in the top of the seventh. The split leaves CofC (27-19, 7-7 Colonial Athletic Association) one game ahead of Delaware (18-22, 6-8) in the race for the fifth and final spot in the conference tournament.
The teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday at 12:30.
Shipley (8-5) allowed four hits and struck out four in tossing her second shutout of the season. Although the Blue Hens were able to get a runner on base in each inning, the combination of Shipley and the CofC defense limited them to only two reaching scoring position.
In the third, Leanna Gearhart singled with one out, but the leading base stealer in the CAA was gunned down trying to swipe second by Taylor Belfiore. After a leadoff walk in the sixth, Dana Horgan snagged a line drive by Giovanna Kolofer and fired to first to complete a double play that helped preserve the shutout.
Meanwhile, the Cougar bats knocked out 11 hits including five in the fourth with runs coming across on bases loaded singles by Kelly Sinclair and Jordin Jones. An error brought home two more in the inning to extend the lead to 5-0.
Lexee Emanuel accounted for the final run in the fifth when she tucked a home run just inside the left field foul pole for her fourth round tripper of the season.
Sinclair and Yari Felix both had three hits, and Emanuel had two to lead the Cougar attack.
After surrendering a first inning run in the opener, CofC struck back with three in its half of the frame with Belfiore doubling in the first run and Katie Padilla following with a two-run double, her team-leading 11th of the season.
The Cougars were unable to add to their lead and it proved costly in the seventh. With CofC leading 3-2 and a runner at third with two outs, CAA home run leader Anna Steinmetz was intentionally walked, but Kondravy foiled the strategy when she homered over the left center fence to put the Blue Hens in front.
Emanuel doubled as a pinch hitter for Felix in the bottom of the seventh, and Felix re-entered and scored on a single by Sinclair. But Jones flied out to left to leave the Cougars one run short.
Izzy Berouty went the distance in the circle for CofC and saw her six-game winning streak end in dropping to 9-5. Delaware's Jordan Cargile gave up 10 hits but was able to work a complete game to move to 14-12.
