Offense Powers Drew To Softball Sweep

MADISON, N.J. - Drew softball swept the College of Staten Island in the Rangers' home openers on Monday.  April Jacobs twirled her second straight gem and some big time hitting got Drew a 7-4 win in the nightcap.  Jacobs went all five innings giving up just two hits as Drew won the first game 8-0.  The Rangers (9-9) got two more homeruns today, one each from Jesyka Marko and Kati Eggert.

Jacobs backed up her seven inning, two hit outing on Friday against Juniata by dominating the Dolphins in the opener.  The sophomore faced just two batters more than the minimum over the first four innings as she allowed just a walk and a see-ing single up the middle.  She ran into her only trouble of the game in the fifth after a one out double, but got a strikeout and a comebacker to help Drew end the game after 4 ½ on the mercy rule.

Drew had put up eight through the first three innings.  Kati Eggert got the Rangers started in style with a lead off double.  Sacrificed to third by Nicole Spiotta, Eggert scored on Megan Mesaros' grounder to third that the Dolphin fielder booted for a first inning lead.

Drew added another in the second as the bottom of the order built a run.  Cailin McGrorry walked with one out and advanced to second on Katie Mulligan's single.  After an error on Kati Eggert's grounder loaded the bases, McGrorry scored on a wild pitch.

Drew did most of its damage in the third inning.  With one out Jillian Lusk walked and then jogged home on Jesyka Marko's long homer to right center.  Consecutive singles by McGrorry and Mulligan got things started again before Eggert replace McGrorry on a fielder's choice.  Nicole Spiotta brought Mulligan home with an RBI single and Eggert crossed on the center fielder's throwing error.  Kerry Crowley drove in Spiotta and after Gagliardi and Lusk via error and walk, respectively, Crowley scored on another Dolphin error for Drew's eighth run.  With Jacobs cruising, the game was called after 4 ½ on the mercy rule.

The second game was tighter as Lauren Collini had good stuff, but struggled with the strike zone and Drew couldn't find the knock-out punch on offense.  Still, the Rangers built a 3-0 lead after the first as Nicole Gagliardi's two run triple highlighted the opening frame.  The Rangers reloaded the bases with two outs after Gagliardi's hit, but left them juiced.  CSI got its first two runs thanks to some luck.  Tina Bellochio walked with one out in the second and advanced to second on a sac bunt.  Bellachio scored on Jillian Castore's double.  Marianne Tepedino singled to center to follow with Castore stopping at third base, but Gagliardi's throw struck the umpire and allowed Castore to score on the ricochet.

The Rangers got those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Eggert led off with a dinger to straight away center.  Walks from Spiotta and Gagliardi put two on for Megan Mesaros and the first-year drove in Spiotta with a single.  With two outs Marko walked to load the bases for Cailin McGrorry.  McGrorry singled to right to drive in Gags, but Mesaros was thrown out at the plate for the third out as Drew now led 6-2.

CSI scored two more in the third and it could have been worse had Mulligan and McGrorry not combined to cut down a Dolphin trying to stretch a double.  Following that inning Collini shut down CSI with just a tight strike zone causing her problems.  The junior did get a big out in the top of the fifth by inducing a comebacker with a pair of runners on base to end a threat.  The Rangers tacked on the seventh run in the bottom of the fifth as Spiotta's sac fly brought in McGrorry, who went 2-2 with three walks, a sac bunt and two runs scored on the day.

The wins even Drew's record at 9-9 heading into a double header at NJCU on Wednesday.