Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MADISON, N.J. (April 1, 2014) – The Drew University softball team banded together to rebound from a 10-1 loss in the opening bout of a doubleheader with St. Joseph's (L.I.) College on Tuesday afternoon with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 to earn the split in non-conference action at the Rangers' softball complex.

Head coach Charlotte Labate saw a blossoming sense of maturity and togetherness from her squad in between the Tuesday twin bill in Madison. The third-year head coach knows it isn't easy bouncing back from a loss.

"I have to say I see a big change with this team," Labate said. "There may have been a time where we would have our heads down after losing Game 1, but they were able to pump each other up in between games today. They pick each other up and it gets to the point where they get pumped up and all they want to do is hit the ball as hard as they can."

The Rangers' (12-6) hits came at the perfect time in Game 2. Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, freshman center fielder Phylicia Pellot led off with a single, and promptly moved to third base after junior designated player Rebecca Hutsebaut sliced a ground-rule double down that hopped off the left field line and into the fencing.

"When I hit that, I saw it curving toward the line," said Hutsebaut, who extended her hitting streak to six games after picking up a base hit in both games Tuesday. "When it hit the line I saw a big cloud of dust and I said, 'Yes!' They say when you're hitting well, you see the ball like a basketball and when you're in a slump it's a golf ball. I see a basketball right now."

Freshman pitcher Casey Zdanek, who entered the pitcher's circle in the third inning, helped her cause at the plate. The Drew rookie recorded a sacrifice fly to score Pellot for the eventual game-winning run. Meanwhile, Zdanek held the Golden Eagles to two hits and walk over five scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 on the season.

"As a freshman, she hasn't had too much playing time," Labate said of Zdanek, who had five strikeouts on Tuesday. "To have her pitch as well as she did and help herself out with an RBI is great for her and this team. She needed that one and hopefully that will carry through for her at the plate."

Freshman third baseman Samantha Foster gave the Rangers an insurance run in the inning with a hard-hit RBI single to right center field for the 3-1 lead, which Zdanek closed out with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

"It's great to win this game after starting the day with a loss," Hutsebaut said. "Sometimes it's hard to get that energy going in between games when you're tired. It was great to come together as a team and connect on some hits finally."

Drew was outhit 13-7 in Game 1 as the Golden Eagles handed the Rangers their sixth loss of the season, 10-1. Drew took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout by junior left fielder Helen Mustafa plating freshman right fielder Vanessa Villahermosa, who led off the bottom of the second with a double.

St. Joseph's would score 10 unanswered, however, to coast to a victory. The Golden Eagles scored five runs in the third, another three in the fourth and two more in the sixth to earn the 10-1, six-inning victory.

Drew continues Landmark Conference play on Thursday with its rescheduled doubleheader at Moravian College set to begin at 3:30 p.m.