PHILADELPHIA – Junior
Emily Conaway launched her first career grand slam in game two against the Drexel Dragons (24-13-1) on Wednesday to help lift the La Salle softball team (8-23) to a 13-8 victory. Drexel claimed the first contest, 6-5 in nine innings of play.
In the finale of the doubleheader, every Explorer in the lineup recorded a hit for the first time this season which helped the squad score a season high 13 runs. THe 13 runs is the most La Salle has scored since a win over Saint Peter's on March 18 of last season.
DREXEL 6, La SALLE 5 – F/9 INNINGS
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Dragons jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after a grand slam in the opening at bats.
- La Salle responded in the home half, when sophomore Ashley Mendenhall drove Conaway in with an RBI single down the right field line.
- Senior Emma Schweigert tied the game with one swing of the bat in the third inning after she drilled a three-run blast to center field.
- Rookie Mackenzie Vogler launched her second-long ball of the season in the fifth inning to put the Explorers up by one.
- A solo homer in the visitor's half of the seventh knotted things at five.
- Drexel recorded the final lead change of game one in the ninth inning with an RBI groundout.
INSIDE THE CIRCLE:
- Sophomore Morgan Orlowski (3-12) threw a career high nine innings of work and allowed five earned runs on eight hits and three walks.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Mendenhall paced the Explorers with three hits in five at bats and added a run and an RBI to her line.
- Freshmen Natalie Rios and Cailey Joyce each recorded a pair of hits. Rios scored a run.
- Schweigert ended the first game 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a walk, run scored, and the homer.
La SALLE 13, DREXEL 8
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The visitors took an early lead again, this time with a solo shot to center.
- La Salle countered with a five run second inning that included an RBI base knock from Joyce and the grand salami off the bat of Conaway to put the Explorers on top, 5-1.
- Drexel chipped away at the lead with three runs in the third. The Dragons scored with another solo home run and a two-run single.
- Sophomore Deanna Pineiro extended La Salle's lead in the home half of the third with a two-run base hit through the right side.
- A three-run bomb tied things in the fourth for the Dragons.
- The Explorers garnered a rally in the bottom of the fifth to score six runs on six hits and four walks.
- The visitors added a run in the sixth but couldn't mount a comeback attempt.
INSIDE THE CIRCLE:
- Joyce (5-9) picked up her fifth win of the season in a complete game effort where she allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits and a walk. The rookie punched out three on strikes.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- In a complete team effort, only one Explorer had more than one hit in the game and seven recorded an RBI.
- Pineiro led the team with a pair of base hits and registered three RBIs and a run.
- Conaway finished the game 1-for-3 with the grand slam, five RBIs, a run scored, and a walk.
- Rios, Schweigert, Joyce, junior Courtney Shupp, and freshman Audrey LaBouliere each notched a hit and an RBI.
UP NEXT:
La Salle welcomes conference foe Dayton to West Campus Field for a three-game series this weekend. A twin bill is scheduled for Saturday at noon and a single game will follow on Sunday at noon.