Softball

FREEDOM CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS - OPENING ROUND
Delaware Valley College 5, King's College 4 (14 innings)

EDWARDSVILLE (PA) - In what may go down as the greatest game in Delaware Valley College softball history, Delaware Valley was two outs away from being the victims of a perfect game, but Brittany Stockert's heroics helped the Aggies rally and defeat defending Freedom Conference champion King's College, 5-4, in 14 innings in the opening round of the conference championships.

The win extended the third-seeded Aggies' record winning streak to eight games, improved them to 16-18 and advanced them in the winner's bracket of the championships. They will next meet top-seeded DeSales University, which had a rally of its own for a 3-2 triumph over No. 4 FDU-Florham. The Lady Monarchs fell to 19-12.

The Aggies trailed 4-0 heading into the seventh and final inning and had not put a runner on base against King's Kelsey Shreaves. Shreaves then opened the seventh by getting Kim Harle to fly out to right to put her to within two outs of perfection.

Lacy Miles ended the perfect bid by getting a single to right field and Bethany Pavlik followed with a single through the left side. A Kelly Andrews line out left Delaware Valley one out from defeat, but Nicole Dorney singled to center to load the bases and keep the Aggies alive.

Stockert stepped to the plate and the count eventually went to 2-2 with the sophomore designated player fouling off a number of pitches to stay alive. She then took a Shreaves delivered and lined a shot that just cleared the left field fence for a grand slam home run and a 4-4 ballgame. It was Stockert's fourth home run of the season.

The game continued on into extra innings and reached the 11th inning. King's put runners on first and third with just one out. However, King's could not score as the runner remained at third on a fly out to center for the second out. Aggie rightfielder Bethany Pavlik then made a spectacular diving catch to rob Lindsey Hoerner of a game-winning hit.

It stayed 4-4 until the 14th inning when Stockert and Delaware Valley struck again. After an out, Pavlik singled and moved to second on the play off a Lady Monarch miscue. Andrew reached on a fielder's choice, but Pavlik was called out for runner's interference. Dorney singled through the left side to move Andrews into scoring position. Stockert came to the plate against Hoerner, who went all the way for King's, and she stroked a single to center field to score Andrews for a 5-4 Aggie advantage. Stockert finished 2-for-6 with all five RBIs.

In the bottom of the 14th, Abbey Knoblauch drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Knoblauch then moved to third on an infield out. Hoerner came to the plate and Kirstyn Ruhling, who pitched the final eight and one-third innings for Delaware Valley got her to pop out to second for the dramatic win - the first playoff victory in Aggie softball history.

Ruhling was spectacular in relief as the senior picked up her sixth win of the season. She did not allow a run and gave up six hits in those eight-plus innings. Dorney went 3-for-6 for the Aggies while Pavlik was 2-for-6.

King's struck first in the second inning as Hoerner was hit by a pitch and Lauren DeCreny singled to put runners on first and third with nobody out. A liner resulted in a double play and it looked as if the Aggies might get out of the jam. However, a wild pitch by Delaware Valley starter Jennifer Bummer allowed Hoerner to score from third place for a 1-0 Lady Monarch lead.

The hit by DeCreny in the second was the lone one allowed by Bummer through the first four innings. The Lady Monarchs had a pair of hits in the fifth, but a runner was gunned down at the plate to end the threat.

King's them seemed to put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth as, with two on and two outs, Hoerner put a 2-2 pitch over the right-center fence for a 4-0 advantage. However, Stockert's heroics keyed the improbable comeback and victory by the Aggies.