MADISON, N.J. – Freshman
Gabby Duran tossed an eight-hit complete game victory in her first career start, helping the Drew University softball team to a split with John Jay College in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday at a chilly Drew Softball Complex.
The Rangers (12-14) claimed the opener 5-1 before John Jay (16-6) captured the second game 12-5.
Duran (2-2), who blanked the Bloodhounds over the last five innings, walked only one batter and racked up a season-high seven strikeouts.
Junior
Haley Meierhofer finished 2-for-4 at the plate in the opener.
All of the runs in the first game were scored in the first two innings. The Rangers went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first before John Jay tied it in the top of the second. But Drew answered with four runs in the bottom half, which was capped by a bases-clearing double from junior
Josie Di Troia.
It was more than enough run support for Duran. She was the beneficiary of an 8-3 double play in the fifth, when, following a leadoff single, centerfielder
Olivia Magliacano caught a fly ball and then fired to first base to catch the runner going back to the bag.
Duran ended four different innings with a strikeout and fanned the No. 2 hitter to end the game with runners on second and third.
John Jay jumped on top with a four-run first inning in the second game, then scored one in the second to go up 5-0. However, sophomore
Kaitlynne Streets shut out the Bloodhounds from the third through the sixth innings, and the Rangers made it a two-run game with two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Drew received a leadoff double from junior
Ashlyn Cassetty, an RBI-double from Magliacano, and a run-scoring single from Meierhofer in the fourth before the Rangers scored a run on four straight walks in the sixth.
The Bloodhounds broke it open with seven runs in the top of the seventh. Drew scored its final two runs in the bottom half, when Meierhofer smacked an RBI-double.
Magliacano and Meierhofer each finished 3-for-5 in the second game.
The Rangers return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Haverford College for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
