SCRANTON, Pa. – Senior
Molly O'Brien scored her 100th career run and the Drew University softball team earned a split in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at the University of Scranton on Tuesday.
The Rangers (12-10, 3-5 LC) won the opener 11-1 before the Royals claimed a 3-1 decision in the nightcap.
O'Brien became just the third player in team history to reach the century mark in runs scored, joining
Madi Precht C'23 (120) and Kim Artim C'99 (101). She finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and three RBIs in the first game while junior
Fran O'Kleasky went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Sophomore
Josie Di Troia was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while junior
Delaney O'Donoghue also smacked a pair of hits.
Senior
Teagan Bradley tossed a six-hit complete game in the opener, when she struck out five.
The Rangers never trailed after scoring twice in the top of the first. O'Brien led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a double from O'Kleasky. Junior
MacKenzie Pisani made it a 2-0 game when she doubled home O'Kleasky.
After Scranton scored once in the bottom half, the Rangers pushed their lead to 6-1 with a four-run, four-hit second which included an RBI-double from Bradley, a run-scoring single from sophomore
Olivia Magliacano, and a two-run double from Di Troia.
Drew scored two more in the fourth before O'Brien settled any doubt with a three-run homer in the seventh.
In the second game, Scranton scored all of its runs over the first two innings, plating one on the first and two in the second to assume a 3-0 lead. Meanwhile, Royal starting pitcher Carley Noble carried a shutout into the sixth, when Di Troia provided a spark with a one-out double. Pisani followed up with an RBI-single to put the Rangers on the scoreboard, but reliever Soleil Dooner came on to induce an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, then worked a three-up, three-down seventh.
Pisani finished the game 2-for-3 while freshman
Allie Porbansky tossed all six innings for the Rangers, scattering seven hits while walking only one and striking out two.
Drew continues its season on Saturday, when it visits Lycoming College for a Landmark Conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.