AURORA, N.Y. (March 30, 2021) - The SUNY Delhi softball team came out swinging in their first game in 388 days Tuesday, opening their 2021 season with a sweep at Wells. Backed by 11 strikeouts from game-one pitcher Melonie Papuli in her Delhi debut, the Broncos racked up 13 hits in the opening 12-4 win, then tallied 12 hits in a five-inning 10-2 victory in the night cap. The 2-0 Broncos now prepare for their first NAC West test this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders versus SUNY Cobleskill, currently slated for Thursday and Saturday.

GAME ONE: DELHI 12, WELLS 4

In her Broncos pitching debut, Melonie Papuli struck out 11 Express batters over seven innings, giving up just four hits and retiring her first nine batters faced. Delhi opened with a 6-0 lead through three innings, but ran into a rough patch with a four-run Wells fourth. The Express threatened even further when they loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, only for Papuli to strike out the next two batters and a line out to Shelby Nolan at short to get out of the jam. Delhi added to its lead with three boxes in both the sixth and seventh innings to run away with the win.

Papuli helped out her cause with a two-run triple in the seventh, finishing with two RBIs and two hits. Third base freshman Kitty Messina batted 3-for-4, driving in three runs. Rachael Scoones and Kayla Beers each had two RBIs, with Beers contributing a third-inning RBI single and a seventh-inning RBI sacrifice fly, while Scoones went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI single in the sixth to start the Broncos' six-run stretch in the latter frames. Carissa Crandall added a sixth-inning RBI single.

GAME TWO: DELHI 10, WELLS 2

The Broncos stormed out of the gate with seven runs in the first. Mackenzie Sparacino opened with a lead off single, then advancing to second when Melonie Papuli drove her in on a RBI single. Delhi then jammed the bases for starting pitcher Katelynn Rose to deliver a bases-clearing double to make room for comfort at 4-0. The bases were loaded again when Carissa Crandall walk in another, followed by a two-RBI single from Sparacino. Rose allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work, while continuing to add to Delhi's lead when she delivered her fourth RBI off her second double in the second to bring home Kitty Messina to make it 8-1. Wells got a run back in the third, only for Delhi to pick up a run in the fourth and fifth innings to press the eight-run rule. Kayla Beers doubled in the fourth to bring home a run, followed by Messina in the fifth offering up an RBI single.

Rose's final batting numbers were 2-for-2 with two doubles, four RBIs, and one walk. Messina went 3-for-4 on two doubles and one RBI, while Beers went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Sparacino had a 2-for-4 outing and one stolen base, with both hits coming on RBI singles.