MADISON, N.J. (April 19, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team lost two games to Drew University on Monday night, first 8-0 and then a hard-fought 7-6 decision. Denise Wagner drove in two runs in the second game for the Ducks, which was a back-and-forth battle to the end with four lead changes.
In game one, senior shortstop Naomi Sacks knocked the only Stevens hit of the game against Drew starter Adrianna Durso (Old Tappan, N.J.) with a clean single up the middle.
The Rangers scored eight runs on 13 hits in the first game, which was shortened to five innings by the eight-run rule.
In the second game, it was the Ducks striking first, as Brianna Sticco notched a one-out single in the top of the first inning and Clair Strom doubled to leftfield with two out to score the first Stevens run of the day.
The Ducks would hold the 1-0 lead until the third, where Drew would score three runs on a homer by Jackie Mannino (Little Silver, N.J.) to take the lead.
Sarah Parker displayed some nifty baserunning in the fourth to manufacture a run and cut the Drew lead in half to 3-2 in the top of the fourth, but the Rangers answered right back with a run of their own in the home half of the inning.
Then in the fifth Stevens took the lead back with a four-run outburst. Victoria Webber got things going with a single up the middle, followed by Sherri Rosenberg's pinch-hit base knock and Lauren Hurley's single on a bunt attempt to load the bases with nobody out. Sacks then stroked a base-hit to leftfield to move the runners up 60 feet and score Webber. Parker was up next and worked a walk to force another run home and tie the score. Denise Wagner then knocked a two-out, two-RBI single to give the Ducks the lead back at 6-4.
But Drew would score one in the bottom of the fifth, then return Durso to the circle to shut down the Ducks' run production in the last two innings. The Rangers would plate two more runners in the bottom of the sixth to re-take the lead, and the final score would be 7-6 in favor of the team from Madison.
The next game for Stevens will be this Saturday –Spring Sports Day- at the Weehawken Waterfront. First pitch is scheduled for 2p.m.
