DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (March 27, 2021) – Jessie Masur did not allow an earned run and gave up just three hits over 9.0 innings of work while
Samantha Schattin went 4 for 8 with the game-winning RBI double in game two to give the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team a doubleheader sweep of Delaware Valley University, winning game one 10-1 and game two 5-2.
The Ducks are now 5-1 in the MAC Freedom play this season and sit in second place in the conference standings behind only Misericordia University.
"Jess had a great day in the circle," head coach
Emily Kaczmarek said. "She had outstanding command and really controlled the game when she was out there. Obviously, Sammy's big double was huge with the bases loaded as well. Overall, two wins are nice but we still have a lot of work to do."
In the circle, Masur (5-1) was absolutely dominant on the day as she started things off by tossing 6.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run on two hits and matching her career-high with 12 strikeouts to pick up the win. She followed it up by getting the final nine outs of the second game of the doubleheader to get the win in game two as well, allowing just one hit while fanning three in 3.0 innings of work.
Stevens also got a big offensive effort from
Meg Halloran in the doubleheader as the junior went 6 for 7 with an RBI and a run scored.
In the first game of the day, Schattin got things going with a leadoff double to center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Gina DeOliveira. She was subsequently brought home by an RBI single up the middle by Halloran.
Two batters later,
Jessica Guerrero reached base on a single to right and Halloran was able to race home on an error by the right fielder to make it 2-0.
After
Amanda Delorme walked,
Siobhan Cottell delivered the big blow of the inning with an RBI double into the right-center field gap to plate Guerrero and Delorme and give the Ducks a four-run lead.
Stevens added one more in the second after Schattin, who singled with one away, came home on an errant throw by the Delaware Valley pitcher after a bunt single off the bat of Halloran.
Schattin gave the Ducks another run in the fourth as she reached base on an error and then showed off her speed, racing all the way around to score on the error and make it 6-0.
After a DeOliveira single and a Halloran walk,
Julia Baber tacked on another with an RBI infield single to bring home DeOliveira.
In the sixth, Halloran was at it again with another bunt single that forced another DelVal miscue to score DeOliveira and bring the lead to eight.
Guerrero then stepped to the plate and tattooed her second collegiate home run out to left center and make the score 10-0 in the sixth.
That was more than enough for Masur, who recorded 12 of the first 15 outs of the game via the strikeout. The Aggies were able to scratch across an unearned run in the bottom half of the sixth, but Masur dashed any hopes of a comeback as she got a foul out to end it in run-rule fashion, the first such win of the season for the Ducks.
At the plate, both Guerrero and Halloran finished with a team-high three hits while all nine starters reached base safely.
Erin Kreis got the start in the circle in game two and did not factor into the decision after throwing 4.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three.
Stevens got things going in the top half of the third as
Lexi Gregule led the inning off with a walk, stole second and third and came home on a defensive miscue at short by Delaware Valley.
The Aggies took their first lead of the day with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Kreis got a strikeout for the first out of the inning but then surrendered a two-RBI single.
DelVal threatened to add more, but Kreis did a good job of working out of danger as she induced a groundball to Guerrero at short who got the out at the plate and a foul out to end the threat with limited damage.
With two outs in the next half inning, Schattin again started a rally with a bunt single. DeOliveira then tied the game up at two apiece with a hard-hit RBI double into center field that brought home Schattin.
The senior was not done making big plays on the day, however, as she delivered the biggest hit of the day two innings later.
With one out, Delorme walked, Cottell was hit by a pitch and Gregule walked to load the bases. A strikeout looked like it may end the threat, but Schattin had other ideas as she ripped a bases-clearing double into left center to give the Ducks a 5-2 edge.
Schattin now leads the MAC Freedom seven doubles on the year and is just one shy of matching her career-high of eight set back in the 2019 season.
That would be all the insurance Masur, who came into the game in the bottom of the fifth, would need as she retired the last six batters of the game in order to clinch the win and the doubleheader sweep.
Halloran, Schattin and Delorme all had multi-hit games in the second contest for Stevens as the trio accounted for seven of the Ducks' eight hits in the contest.
Due to weather conditions, Sunday's doubleheader in Weehawken has been postponed. Stevens will return to the diamond on Thursday in Center Valley, Pa. against Desales University with a doubleheader at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Live stats will be available on StevensDucks.com.
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