Softball

2007 FREEDOM CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Opening Round: King's College 4, Delaware Valley College 3

EDWARDSVILLE (PA) - Delaware Valley College's first playoff game in 20 years saw the Aggies jump out to a 3-0 lead, but top-seeded King's College rallied for a 4-3 victory in the opening round of the 2007 Freedom Conference Softball Championships held at Wilkes University's Ralston Field.

It was the third time this season that Delaware Valley (16-13) dropped a one-run decision to the Lady Monarchs (31-6), who have qualified for the NCAA playoffs seven years in a row, including six Freedom Conference titles during that span.

As a result, the Aggies drop into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will face defending conference champion Wilkes University (21-12) tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. The second-seeded Lady Colonels allowed an unearned run in the fifth inning in a 1-0 loss to No. 3 FDU-Florham.

Delaware Valley didn't waste any time on Friday as they scored one run in the top of the first. With one out, Lacy Miles was hit by a pitch, but was retired on a fielder's choice by Bethany Pavlik. After Pavlik stole second, third baseman Kelly Andrews ripped a single into left field to easily bring home Pavlik for a 1-0 lead.

King's (31-6) threatened in the second as, with one out, Becky Loring reached on an infield hit and Kelsey Shreaves got on board due to an Aggie error. After a fly out to right moved Loring to third, Annie Drimones drew a walk to load the bases and bring Lady Monarch leading hitter Abbey Knoblauch to the plate. However, Knoblauch grounded out to second to end the inning.

Delaware Valley struck again in the third as Kim Harle led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Miles. Then, following a fly out, Andrews came though again as she smacked a double into the left-center field gap to bring home Harle. Nicole Dorney followed with a single up the middle to knock in Andrews for a 3-0 Aggie lead.

King's got on the board in the fourth as Loring opened with a triple and later scored on a fielders' choice by Sue Roccia.

The Lady Monarchs then took the lead by scoring three times in the fifth, all coming with two outs. Loring drew a walk to load the bases and Shreaves helped her own cause by delivering a two-run single into right field that just went off the glove of Harle at second. A walk to Christie Parfitt re-loaded the bases and brought about a pitching change for Delaware Valley as Jennifer Bummer came in for starter Kirstyn Ruhling. Bummer faced pinch-hitter Julie Bidwell and walked her on five pitches to give King's a 4-3 advantage.

The Aggies threatened in the sixth as Kauffman put the first pitch of the inning into center for a leadoff single. Lindsay Hoerner came in to pitch for Shreaves and, after Kauffman stole second, the hurler fanned Stockert for the first out. Maureen Ferguson then dropped a single into right field, moving Kauffman up to third. However, Jackson was caught looking and Harle flew out to center to end the scoring chance.

Bummer kept it a one-run game by pitching a scoreless sixth. In the seventh, Hoerner struck Miles out looking for the first out, but Pavlik drew a walk after fouling off a number of pitches. Andrews then popped out to second for the second out of the inning. A wild pitch put Pavlik in scoring position but Dorney struck out swinging to end the game.

Shreaves improved to 14-2 as she went five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. She was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Hoerner allowed just one hit and fanned four in two innings of work for her second save of the year.

Andrews paced the Aggies with a 2-for-3 effort and two RBIs. Kauffman also went 2-for-3. Ruhling took the loss and fell to 6-6 as she allowed four runs and nine hits in four-plus innings of work.