PHILADELPHA – The University of Pennsylvania softball team earned its second victory in three games as it scored all six runs over the final four innings in an eight-inning affair. Back-to-back home runs by
Dana Anderson and
Sarah Schneider gave the Quakers their first lead of the game in the seventh inning.
Alyssa Pope drove in the eventual game-winning run with two-outs in the eighth inning as Penn earned the 6-5 extra inning win at Drexel on Wednesday afternoon.
Dana Anderson recorded her second straight three-hit game and she and
Madison Bauerle accounted for six of the Quakers 12 hits on the day.
Bella Fiorentino and
Danica Larwill also recorded multi-hit games with two hits each. Larwill entered the game in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter and went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
FINAL/8: Penn 6, Drexel 5
Dana Anderson hit a two-out double to right in the first inning to extend her on base streak to five straight plate appearances and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Anderson was stranded to end the top half of the first.
Drexel threatened early with a leadoff base hit that advanced to second on a groundout for the first out. With two outs the fourth batter of the inning singled up the middle and the Dragons sent the runner home but a strong throw from center by
Brianna Brown was in time for
Sarah Schneider to get the tag down and end the inning.
Katie Reagan drew a two out walk in the second inning and advanced to third on a
Madison Bauerle single down the left field line. Thanks to a bobble by the left fielder, Bauerle was able to advance to second putting runners on second and third for the Quakers. The home team stranded the runners in scoring position as the final batter grounded out to second.
Drexel opened the bottom of the second with a pair of base hits to put two on with no outs. After a groundout to second moved the runners up, the home team took a 2-0 lead on back-to-back plays, an RBI base hit through the right side and an RBI groundout to short that scored the runner from third.
Down 2-0,
Payton Bean replaced
Bella Fiorentino in the circle and pitched two scoreless innings allowing just a two-out walk in the fourth inning.
Penn stuck for all six runs over the final four innings of the extra inning affair, including three runs in the seventh inning.
Danica Larwill entered as a pinch hitter in the fifth and put the Quakers on the board as she sent an RBI base hit to center to drive in
Madison Bauerle from third.
Rachel Riley came on to pitch the fifth inning and worked around a hit by pitch and a base hit to put a zero on the board.
Bella Fiorentino sent a one out base hit up the middle to get things going in the top of the sixth.
Sammy Fenton drew a walk to put runners on first and second.
Jade Montgomery entered the game as a pincher hitter for Reagan and got a productive out as she grounded out to third but advanced both runners setting up Bauerle. With a full count, Bauerle tied the game at 2-2 as she sent an RBI base hit to center that scored pinch runner
Julia Mortimer but that was all as the Dragons got the trailing runner out on a strong throw home from the centerfielder.
Kelly Zybura entered in the bottom of the sixth and gave up a leadoff solo shot to center putting Drexel back in the lead at 3-2. She rebounded by getting the next two batters out on fly outs to center and following a two out walk, she got her first strikeout of the game to end the sixth inning.
Penn struck for three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead, all with two outs. Larwill kept the inning alive with a two out base hit to right. This set up Anderson to give Penn a 4-3 lead. She hit a two-run shot to straightaway centerfield for her third home run of the season, and second in as many games, bringing her within one of the team lead.
Sarah Schneider extended her team lead back to two home runs as she went back-to-back with Anderson and gave the Quakers a 5-3 lead, her fifth of the season.
Zybura got two quick outs on five pitches, but the Dragons struck her for two runs on an RBI double and an RBI base hit to tie the game at 5-5. Zybura induced a fly out to center to end the seventh inning and send the game into extra innings.
Reagan opened the eighth inning with a base hit to left and advanced to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. After a Bauerle groundout moved Reagan up to third,
Alyssa Pope drove in the eventual game-winning run on a groundout to second that scored Reagan putting Penn up 6-5.
Zybura closed out the game with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth that included back-to-back strikeouts looking.
QUAKER NOTEMEAL
- Dana Anderson recorded back-to-back three-hit games for the first time in her career and the third time this season. She hit her third home run of the season and the seventh of her career. Home runs in back-to-back games were also a first in her career.
- Madison Bauerle ended an eight-game hitless streak with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. It was her first multi-hit game since she went 4-for-5 in the second game of a doubleheader sweep at UMES earlier this season.
- Dana Anderson and Sarah Schneider hit back-to-back home runs, marking the first time the Quakers have done that this season. The Quakers last hit back-to-back home runs in a 5-3 win against Ball State (3/2/19) when Lucy Yang's three-run shot was followed by Berit Batteron's solo shot to put Penn up 5-1 in the sixth.
UP NEXT
The Red and Blue close out the week with their final Ivy League home series as they host Brown, April 22-23. First pitch for both days is set for 12:30 p.m. Penn will honor its senior class of 2023 with a pregame ceremony prior to the series finale on Sunday.
#FightOnPenn
