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Reading, PA (April 18, 2013) – Freshman Emily Hockman had a three-run double in the first game and senior Brittany Wilson earned her second save of the season pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh to preserve a one –run win leading the DeSales University softball team past Alvernia University, 3-2 and 4-3, in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon.

The wins run DSU's (21-6-1) win streak to 12-straight games as the Bulldogs have now knocked off the #8 regionally ranked team (Moravian College) twice and the #5 regionally ranked team (Alvernia University) twice to start this week with four more games at Freedom Conference rival Manhattanville College and the #1 ranked team in the country, Montclair State University, still to come this week.  The NCAA East Region Regional rankings were released this week for the first time this season and the Bulldogs were not among the top eight entering the week.

The 12-wins are two shy of tying the all-time record of 14-straight set during the 1995 season.  DSU has also won 10-straight at home, which is one shy of tying the all-time record of 11-straight home wins set during the 1987 and 1988 season.  And lastly the Bulldogs have won 10-straight Freedom Conference games, two shy of tying the all-time mark for most consecutive regular season conference wins.  DSU can tie two of the above record with two wins on Saturday at Manhattanville.

In the first game on Thursday, Hockman gave DSU a 3-0 lead in the top of the second innings with a two-out bases clearing double to centerfield plating sophomore Shelby Wilson, senior Courtney McKenna, and sophomore Taylor Kelly.

Alvernia cut the margin down to one run in the fifth inning with two runs, but freshman DJ McCauley pitched out of a bases loaded jam with two outs in the sixth inning and retired the Crusaders in order in the seventh to earn her 10th win of the season scattering 11 hits over seven innings allowing just two hits and striking out four.

Sophomore Carly Bartholomew led a seven-hit attack with two hits in the game one win.

In the second game, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single from McCauley and an Alvernia error one batter later allowing McCauley to scamper home.  DSU increased its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when freshman Michelle Gessner singled home S. Wilson, who doubled to lead off the inning.

Alvernia showed no quit though and tied the score at three with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Sophomore Ericka Esposito relieved fellow sophomore Rachel Vogel in the sixth and pitched out of jam and in the top of the seventh, McCauley doubled with one out and scored two batters later on a single from Bartholomew.

Esposito ran into trouble to start the seventh allowing a hit, hitting a batter, and walking the bases loaded with one out as head coach Rachel Turoscy made the move to B. Wilson in the circle with the bases juiced and one out and Wilson delivered getting a pop-up to shortstop for the second out and a fly ball to right field for the third and final out, earning her second save of the season.

Esposito got the win going 1.1 innings of relief allowing one hit.  Vogel pitched well allowing six hits and three runs over five innings, striking out two.  Senior Julie Brugger went 2-for-4, including the 100th hit of her career, a double in the fifth inning of game two making her the 18th player to record 100 career hits.

Gessner and McCauley also had two hits and Bartholomew finished 3-for-4 in game two making her 5-for-8 with an RBI in the doubleheader sweep.

The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday when they travel to Manhattanville College for another important Freedom Conference doubleheader as the Bulldogs look to extend its win streak to 14-games and 12-straight in Freedom Conference action.  First pitch is set for 12:00 pm.