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Blue Hen softball team reaches tourney title game 3:16 p.m., Feb. 23, 2004--The University of Delaware softball team reached the championship game of the weekend Pirate Classic at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., falling 6-4 to the host team. East Carolina scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie and defeat the Fightin Blue Hens in the title game Sunday. In that game, UD struck first as Liz Winslow drove in a run with a single in the first inning. East Carolina came back with two runs in the bottom half of the first, then increased its lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning when Kate Manuse drove home a pair of runs with a double down the right field line. UD battled back to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning with three runs. Winslow knocked in two runs with a double and later scored on a base hit by Kinsey Lowrey. East Carolina clinched the win with two runs in the bottom of the fifth off Hen reliever Carolyn Sloat. Brentley Bridgeforth picked up the win for the Pirates, allowing just three hits and no runs in 2.1 innings of work in relief of starter Keli Harrell. UD advanced to the championship game by defeating Towson University 5-4 in 10 innings. The Hens won when freshman shortstop Michelle Plant hit a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield with none out in the top of the 10th inning. UD then held off the Tigers in the bottom of the inning as Sloat, who struck out eight batters and allowed just four hits in 6.1 innings of relief, retired the side in order. UD scored three runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead as Laurie Erickson led off with her first home run of the season and Laura Streets added an RBI double. Delaware made it 4-1 as Erickson delivered again with a run-scoring single in the fourth inning. Towson scored two runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-3 and then sent the game into extra innings with a single run in the seventh. In opening round pool play on Friday, UD fell 10-0 to East Carolina and 6-2 to George Mason University. The Hens then won both games in pool play Saturday, defeating Towson University 4-1 and Fairfield University 1-0 in extra innings to earn the No. 4 seed entering Sundays championship round. The Hens are 3-3 and continue in tournament play with a trip to Virginia Beach next weekend. In pool play, UD will face Radford and Norfolk State on Friday then Liberty and George Mason on Saturday. The championship round will be played Sunday. UD will play its home opener, a double header against St. Josephs University, beginning at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 3. To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |