Softball

Delaware Valley College 4, DeSales University 3 (Game 1)
DeSales University 8, Delaware Valley College 6 (Game 2)

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - - Delaware Valley College's home and Freedom Conference opener resulted in a doubleheader split with DeSales University. The Aggies came from behind for a 4-3 victory in the opener, but DeSales used a comeback of its own for an 8-6 triumph in the second game.

The split left Delaware Valley with a 3-7 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the conference. The Bulldogs saw their record go to 9-5 and 1-1.

The Aggies trailed 3-2 with two outs in the sixth inning of the opener when 2007 all-conference honoree Bethany Pavlik smacked a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for her third home run of the season and a tied ballgame. Fellow all-conference players Kelly Andrews and Nicole Dorney then followed with back-to-back doubles as Delaware Valley took a 4-3 lead.

DeSales made things interesting in the seventh as Jen Lococo led off with a single and, following an out, Kelly Moran singled as well to put the tying run in scoring position. A ground out moved the runners up a base but all-conference Kirstyn Ruhling got Jamie Pfitzenmayer to ground out in front of the plate to end the game.

Ruhling picked up her first win of the year as the senior allowed one earned run and nine hits. She got out of jam after jam as DeSales left 12 runners on bases. Lococo suffered the loss as she allowed four runs (three earned) and four hits in six innings of work.

The Bulldogs, who scored two runs to start the first game, scored two runs again in the opening stanza of the nightcap. However, the Aggies responded with five runs off of five hits and a pair of DeSales miscues in the bottom of the inning. The big blow in the inning was a two-run double by Pavlik.

Delaware Valley made it 6-2 in the second thanks to an RBI double by Andrews but that was it for their offense as they managed just three hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs got back in the game in the third with three runs off one hit, four walks and one error. The big hit in the inning was a two-out, two-run single by Pfitzenmayer.

DeSales took the lead with two runs in the fifth both off of Delaware Valley errors with two outs in the inning. Another Aggie miscue lead to an insurance run in the seventh and an 8-6 ballgame. Larissa Tenley came in relief just four batters into the game and picked up the win as she allowed three runs (one earned) and six hits. Pfitzenmanyer finished 2-for-4 with the two RBIs.

Andrews and Brittany Stockert each went 2-for-4 for Delaware Valley. Stockert took the loss in relief of Jennifer Bummer.