BRONX, N.Y. - The University of Dayton softball team advanced to day three of the 2018 Atlantic 10 Championship with a 4-3 win over George Washington Thursday evening. The third-seeded Flyers eliminated the sixth-seeded Colonials in the pair's fifth meeting of the season.
Dayton has now reached the 30-win mark for just the third time in program history and now sits at 30-24 on the season. George Washington finished its season with a 33-21 record.
SCORING BREAKDOWN
Both Dayton and George Washington were scoreless through the first three innings but the Flyers were able to get their offense going in the bottom of the fourth. Freshman
Abby Ehrenborg led off the frame with a single through the left side and junior
Kelly Fitzgerald followed with a double to left center. With runners on second and third, sophomore
Ellie Ziegler doubled off the left-field fence, plating two for UD. Ziegler scrambled to third on a Colonial passed ball and was able to score when junior
Madi Maloof singled through the left side. After four complete, Dayton was in charge, 3-0. George Washington answered with a three-spot of its own in the top of the sixth on the strength of a RBI-single and a two-run Flyer error. With the game tied at three runs apiece, the game headed to the bottom of the sixth. A walk and a hit batsman but two runners on when Maloof sacrificed both over one and junior
Kyle Davidson followed with a RBI-single to score what proved to be the winning run. Dayton held on for the 4-3 win.
Winning pitcher:
Manda Cash (15-7)
Losing pitcher: Sierra Lange (15-8)
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- 400 = the total number of career wins for head coach Cara LaPlaca.
- 14 = the number of complete games Cash has worked this season.
- 10 = the number of hits tallied by the Flyers.
- 3 = the number of hits for a perfect Davidson (3-for-3).
UP NEXT
Dayton will square off against Saint Louis in tomorrow's elimination game set for 2:30 p.m. A win for the Flyers will force a second game to be played between Dayton and the loser of Massachusetts vs. Fordham.