NEWARK, Delaware – UNCW sophomore
Anna Hessenthaler recorded four hits and drove in a run, but a pair of late rallies from Delaware allowed the Blue Hens to sweep a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader from the Seahawks at UD Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Hens, who improved to 23-27 overall and 9-11 in the CAA, rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first game to take a 4-3 victory before completing the sweep with a 2-1 triumph in the nightcap. UNCW, meanwhile, drops to 31-15-1 overall with a 10-9 mark in league play.
Hessenthaler went 4-for-7 with a double in the twinbill to lead the Seahawks. She tallied a career-high three hits in the opener before going 1-for-3 in the second game.
Sophomore
Rachel Willis also tallied a pair of hits for the Seahawks with a run batted in. Seniors
Merritt Wilkinson and
Lauren Moore each collected a RBI as well.
Junior Mariah Kondravy paced Delaware with three hits while junior Devon Steiner drove in a pair of runs.
Junior Jordan Cargile earned the win in the circle in the opener, allowing three runs on six hits in the first game. Senior Taylor Curran followed by giving up one run on two hits en route to her fifth win of the season.
Key Moment – Game 1: Delaware overcame a 3-0 deficit by scoring four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn the victory. The Blue Hens posted three hits in the frame and took advantage of three walks before plating the game-winning run on a passed ball.
Key Moment – Game 2: The Blue Hens scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie. Moore drove in a run in the top of the seventh inning with a RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Seahawks were unable to get any closer.
Inside the Box Scores: UNCW left 10 runners on base in the doubleheader and saw its lead-off hitter reach base just twice … The Seahawks were 6-for-19 in two-out situations … Delaware pitchers combined to induce 17 fly ball outs by the Seahawks … Curran did not allow a hit until the seventh inning in the nightcap.
#SeahawkStats: Hessenthaler posted her fifth multi-hit game of the season in the opener … Junior
Kelsey Bryan has reached base safely in five straight games … UNCW is now 9-5 in one-run games and has seen its last three contests decided by a one-run margin.
CAA Tournament Picture: The wins allowed Delaware to remain in the hunt for one of the final spots in the CAA Championship, which begins on Wednesday. UNCW, which has already secured a spot in the five-team tournament, moved into fourth place in the league's standings and trails Hofstra by a half-game for the third seed.
Up Next: The Seahawks and the Blue Hens complete the regular season on Sunday with a single game at noon.
