Freshman Nicole Ayers tossed her first collegiate shutout Wednesday afternoon as the University of the Sciences softball team defeated Chestnut Hill College 1-0 in the second game of their conference doubleheader at McNeil Field in Philadelphia.
Chestnut Hill won the slugfest that was the first game 12-9. The Devils are now 6-18 overall and 5-9 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Griffins are now 6-16 overall and have a 6-8 conference record.
Ayers (New Oxford HS/Abbottstown, Pa.) allowed just four hits while striking out 11 Griffin batters. Ayers becomes just the sixth pitcher in program history to strike out ten or more batters in a game and her strikeout total is the most by a freshman since Karyn Flynn set the freshman record for strikeouts in a game back in 1989 with 12. (Erin Degnan and Rachel Morgan hold the overall record for strikeouts in a game with 13).
The Devils provided Ayers with just enough offense to earn her third win of the season (against four losses). Jenna Hohenberger (Overbrook HS/Clementon, N.J.) got the Devils first hit of the game leading off the fourth inning, a bloop single that landed just beyond the reach of the second baseman and in front of a charging centerfielder. Hohenberger then stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Devon DeBellis (Bishop Eustace HS/Marlton, N.J.). Jackie Keifer (Archbishop Prendergast HS/Aldan, Pa.) brought Hohenberger home with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Sciences had just one more hit in the game, a pinch hit single by Katie Dickson (Kingsway Regional HS/Swedesboro, N.J.) in the sixth inning. Samantha Shaver (E.L. Meyers HS/Wilkes-Barre Twp., Pa.) ran for Dickson and moved to second on DeBellis' second sacrifice of the game, tying a school record for most sacrifices in a game and becoming the eighth player in school history to do so (third this season). Shaver moved to third on a Griffin infield error but was left stranded.
Staked to the 1-0 lead, Ayers allowed only one Chestnut Hill runner to reach base over the final three innings, a bloop single by Allie Williams in the sixth inning. The freshman pitcher struck out four of the final ten batters she faced, capping off her performance by getting a called third strike on Ashleigh Sharp for the final out of the game.
The opening game was quite the opposite as the two teams combined for 21 runs and 25 hits with Chestnut Hill prevailing 12-9.
Kiersten Badzgon (Keystone Oaks HS/Pittsburgh, Pa.) became the second Devils player this season to record four hits in a game, going 4-4 with a triple and three RBI. Brittany Granahan (Maple Shade HS/Maple Shade, N.J.) was 3-4 with a double and two RBI while Janelle Rodriguez (Sacred Heart HS/Vineland, N.J.) was 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Cassie Lapotsky (North Schuylkill HS/Ashland, Pa.) took the loss pitching the final five innings to fall to 3-10 on the season. Lapotsky allowed six runs on five hits while striking out five.
The Devils battled back from 3-1, 6-3 and 9-8 deficits, either tying or taking the lead each time. The Griffins won the game in their final at-bat, breaking a 9-9 tie with three runs in the seventh inning.
Trailing 3-1, Badzgon led off the bottom of the second inning with a triple to right field and scored on Hohenberger's single. Singles from Steph Fultano (Collingswood HS/Collingswood, N.J.) and Granahan pushed Hohenberger across the plate to tie the score at 3-3.
Three hits by the Griffins coupled with an infield error by the Devils chased Granahan out of the circle in the third inning and left the Devils trailing 6-3. Sciences came back and took the lead in the fourth inning batting around to produce five runs on four hits. Granahan drove in her second run of the game with a double to start the scoring. Rodriguez took her place on second with a double down the left field line and after wild pitch scored on a squeeze play off the bat of DeBellis. Keifer followed with a single and two batters later Badzgon brought drove in two more with a long single to right field, giving Sciences an 8-6 lead.
The lead lasted until the sixth inning when Chestnut Hill scored three times to take a 9-8 advantage. DeBellis opened the bottom half of the sixth inning with a single and came around to score on Badzgon's fourth hit of the game, another single to right field, tying the game at 9-9.
Chestnut Hill scored three times in the seventh inning to prevail 12-9. Kaitlyn Johnson (1-4) earned the win for the Griffins.
The Devils return to action when they host Caldwell College on Saturday April 12, 2014. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
