Devils Split with Lions

Erin Summers singled home the winning run for the University of the Sciences softball team in an 8-7 extra inning win in Wednesday's opening game of their doubleheader against Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The Devils wound up with a split of the two games, losing the nightcap 5-0.    Sciences record is now 6-18 overall and 4-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games.  The Lions with the split, improve to 11-7 overall and 3-3 in league contests.

Summers (Pitman HS/Pitman, N.J.) finished the first game with three hits, none bigger than her two-out infield single in the top half of the ninth inning that scored Dayna Phillips (Cumberland Regional HS/Rosenhayn, N.J.) from third base to give the Devils the lead.  Phillips had started the inning at second base under international tie-breaker rules and had moved to third on an infield groundout.   After a walk to SamanthaLou Anastasio (St. Joseph by the Sea HS/Staten Island, N.Y.), Summers beat out a perfect bunt as Phillips scored.

Winning pitcher Courtney Spina (Garnet Valley HS/Thornton, Pa.) only had to face two batters in the bottom of the ninth as the Lions Kelsey Cutler, who like Phillips began the inning at second base, was called out for leaving the base early.  Spina then struck out Courtney Cuevas and got Selina Santillo to fly out to centerfield to end the game.

The Lions had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning before the Devils countered with three in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. Anastasio and Summers singled to start the inning to bring up Gabrielle Adams (Chichester HS/Aston, Pa.) who delivered a single and advanced to third on an overthrow by the Lions pitcher, allowing Samantha Shaver (E.L. Meyers HS/Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) (running for Anastasio) and Summers to score. Kerrianne Jones (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) followed with an infield groundout to score Adams and tie the game at 3-3.

Georgian court plated another run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead, which stood until the Devils scored four times in the top of the sixth to lead 7-4.  Laura Pietropola's (Absegami HS/Galloway, N.J.) one-out double to right centerfield brought home the first two runs.  A single by Phillips moved Pietropola to third and Phillips promptly stole second.   A walk to Courtney Corcoran (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) loaded the bases and Hayley Kavelak followed by reaching base on an error which allowed Pietropola and Phillips to score.  

In the bottom half of the sixth, the Lions tied things up again, sending nine batters to the plate, getting four hits and three runs to tie the score at 7-7, where it remained until Summers drove in the game winner in the top of the ninth.

In the nightcap, the Devils managed just six singles as the Lions recorded a 5-0 win to salvage the split.  Jones extended her hitting streak to six games with two hits.  Kavelak also had two hits and Summers extended her hitting streak to five games with a single in the second inning.   Julie Shaw (Ramapo HS/Wyckoff, Pa.) took the loss for Sciences, giving up nine hits while striking out two.

The Devils return to action on Friday, April 8, 2011 when they host Holy Family University in a CACC doubleheader at McNeil Field starting at 3:00 p.m.