Madi Precht (‘22) finished 7-for-9 and tied a pair of records, leading the Drew University softball team to a non-conference sweep at Centenary University on Wednesday, April 13. The Rangers (18-8) won the opener 9-2 and claimed the nightcap 11-1.
Precht did the bulk of her damage in the first game, finishing 5-for-5 with three runs, two RBIs and a pair of triples. Her five hits tied the Landmark Conference record achieved only four times previously, and her two triples tied the Drew record set five times, most recently by Jasmine Vera (C’ 21) in 2018.
In the opener, Drew led 2-0 through three innings, then hung a crooked number on the scoreboard in the fourth, sixth and seventh. Precht scored each of the team’s first two runs after leading off the game with a bunt single before starting the third with a triple to left-center. She ripped an RBI-single in a two-run fourth that made it a 4-0 game, then roped an RBI-triple to right-center as part of a two-run sixth that gave her team a 6-1 lead. In her final at-bat of the day, she legged out another bunt single in the seventh.
The Rangers outhit the Cyclones 15-5 and received two hits apiece from Teagan Bradley (‘25), Madi Baldwin (‘24), Francesca Laurito (‘24) and Ciara Lyons (‘22). Bradley, Baldwin and Lyons all doubled. In the circle, Brianna Seals (‘23) fired a five-hit complete game, walking only two while striking out two. She improved to 3-1 on the year.
The second game also featured a strong pitching performance from the Rangers, as Emilee Marshall (‘22) was outstanding in her first start of the season. She authored a four-hit complete game and carried a shutout into the sixth inning, finishing with three strikeouts.
The Rangers struck early with a two-run first, and it remained a 2-0 game until the fifth, when Drew doubled its lead with another two-spot. Each side put up a run in the sixth before the Rangers settled any doubt with a six-run seventh, which included Precht’s third triple of the game – a two-run drive to right that made it 10-1. Precht finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while Lyons was 2-for-2. Senior Paxtan Perry smacked a double.
The Rangers continued their six-game week on Thursday, April 14 when they hosted Rutgers-Newark in another non-conference contest. In the opening game, the Rangers lost 0-5 to the Scarlet Raiders. The second game was canceled due to bad weather.
The Rangers will be back hosting a Landmark Conference contest against Moravian University Friday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m.
