CHESTER, Pa. (March 24, 2016) – Sophomore Lauren DelRomano (Broomall, Pa.) went a combined 4-for-8 with two triples and a double to help lead the Widener University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Swarthmore on Thursday. The Pride won the opener by an 8-0 score in six innings before earning an 8-2 victory in the nightcap.
 
With Alexis Schengrund (Hillsborough, N.J.) and Devin Coyne (Chesapeake, Va.) controlling the circle, Widener had eight players combine to scatter 12 hits in the opener. The Pride opened the scoring in the top of the third on an RBI triple to the gap in right center by DelRomano before four different players drove in a run during the fourth and fifth frames to give the hosts a commanding 5-0 lead. An RBI single down the line in right by senior Heather Forward (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored DelRomano and ended the game with one out in the sixth due to the eight-run rule.
 
Widener's Schengrund and Coyne combined for the shutout in the circle. Schengrund earned her seventh win of the season after yielding just two hits over five frames while striking out eight. Mary Olesnavich suffered the loss for Swarthmore and fell to 1-3 by giving up five hits and three runs, which were all earned, during 3.1 innings of work.
 
Swarthmore capitalized on two uncharacteristic Pride fielding errors and took a quick 1-0 lead in the first frame of the nightcap. Marit Vike reached base on a fielding error by the Widener first baseman and scored from second on another miscue in right field to give the Garnet their first lead of the afternoon.
 
Widener, however, tied the game in the bottom of the first when Ally Horvath (Chalfont, Pa.) tripled and scored on a bad throw and tacked on three runs in the third to regain control. Sophomore Katie Sterling (Middletown, Del.) had the big hit to allow the Pride to start pulling away by singling up the middle and plating both DelRomano and Horvath.
 
The Garnet, who outhit the Pride in the nightcap, did not go down without a fight and made several attempts to rally from behind. But after Swarthmore loaded up the bases with one out, DelRomano came through with a clutch play by gunning down Sara Planthaber on a force play at the plate, and senior Alie Alkins (Aston, Pa.) snagged a grounder at short for the third out.
 
Swarthmore (7-9) threatened again in the fifth by placing two runners in scoring position with two outs. Alkins, however, came through with another key defensive play by connecting with junior Bree VanReenen (Elkton, Md.), who successfully applied a tag on Christen Boas Hayes at third for the inning's final out.
 
After the Garnet stranded a combined five runners over two consecutive innings, the Pride got the clutch hits they needed and scored four times in the bottom half of the fifth to put the game away. DelRomano set the tone by tripling to right field before scoring on a passed ball, and freshman Olivia Rogers (West Chester, Pa.) put a stamp on the victory by shooting a rocket over the fence for her first career home run as well as insurance.
 
In her most impressive pitching performance of the season to date, Horvath picked up the win in the circle for Widener. She surrendered six hits and only one run, which was unearned, over five innings. Emily Bowman was tagged with the loss despite going the distance for Swarthmore. She struck out seven, walked five and allowed six hits along with eight runs.
 
Widener (11-3), which has now won five straight games, returns to action on Monday when it visits Gwynedd Mercy for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.