Blue Hens Split Double Header Vs Norfolk State

The University of Delaware women’s softball team took one of  two games on Friday against Norfolk State in their season opener.

The Hens won the early game 3-1 which the team scored two runs in the sixth to help propel them to the win.

In the late game, the Blue Hens lost a tough 8-7 game which the team made it interesting in the late innings when they tied the game at seven. The team was down 7-3 at one point in the game.

Back to the early game which the Hens won, the pitching for the Hens was stellar as junior pitcher Sarah Piening started the game which she went four innings, two hits, one run, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts.

Hens freshman pitcher Katie Stahre came in to relieve Piening after the fourth, as she went three innings, two hits, one walk, one strikeout and earned the win in the game.

On the offensive side, the runs in the game came from freshman outfielder Hanna Garber (1), sophomore outfielder Reyna de Jesus (1) and junior outfielder Julia Solderitch (1).

The runs batted in the game came from the following Hens, de Jesus (1), freshman infielder Brooke Glanden (1) and junior shortstop Karolina Flores (1).

There were four hits in the game for the Hens in the win and they came from de Jesus (1), Glanden (1),  Garber (1) and senior catcher Anna Steinmetz.

 

De Jesus Singles In First Run For The Blue Hens In the Third Inning

In the first two innings, neither offense could get anything going but each team’s pitching was dominant.

The Blue Hens pitcher Sarah Piening was cruising in the first two innings as she sat down six straight batters in those two innings.

In the top of the third inning is where the Blue Hens finally broke the silent score streak among the teams.

It started when Hanna Garber singled to left field and she advanced to second on the play due to obstruction.

Then on the next play, Reyna de Jesus would single to left field and that would score Garber to give Hens a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

 

Hens Piening’s Rare Rough Inning In Fourth 

Hens pitcher Sarah Piening was absolutely dominant in the first three innings but in the fourth inning she hit a road block.

The bottom of the fourth started with Norfolk State’s Shelby DesChamps hitting a triple to right field.  Then, Norfolk State’s Kylee Lopez walked and stole second in the inning. It was Norfolk State’s Tuli Iosefa who reached on a fielder’s choice and that would score DesChamps which tied the game at one.

This would be Piening’s last inning as she went four innings, two hits, one run, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts.

 

Hens Score Two Runs In The Sixth To Help Seal Win

Blue Hens Katie Stahre took over for Piening in the fifth inning and she was solid as she went three innings, two hits, one walk, one strikeout and earned the win in the game.

The Blue Hens offense would help out the pitching in the top of the sixth inning where the lineup would score two runs.

The first run came from Brooke Glanden who hit a single to right which scored Reyna de Jesus from second base to give Hens a 2-1 lead in the inning.

The second run came from Karolina Flores who flied out to center field which scored Julia Solderitch from third base to give Hens a 3-1 lead.

Stahre did the rest as she pitched a solid sixth and seventh inning to seal the Blue Hens 3-1 win.

The Blue Hens take on University of Maryland – Baltimore County in Baltimore on February 10th at 1:00 PM ET.