Softball Swept in Twinbill at UMBC
April 14, 2006 | Softball
Game Two Box Score
CATONSVILLE, Md. – UMBC never trailed Friday afternoon as the Retrievers swept a doubleheader from the Boston University softball team. UMBC won game one 5-3 and triumphed in game two 11-7, as the Terriers lost for the third consecutive time. BU fell to 19-20 overall, 5-5 in America East play. The Retrievers improved to 37-11, 7-3.
In game one, the contest was scoreless into the fifth inning, as BU’s Cassidi Hardy and UMBC’s Krista Kearns engaged in a pitchers’ duel. In the bottom of the fifth, UMBC broke through with a run when Hardy walked Courtney O’Hara with the bases loaded. The Terriers responded immediately, however, knotting the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth. Brooke Hudson singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a groundout and scored on another wild pitch.
The Retrievers broke the game open in the sixth, plating four runs against Terrier reliever Melody Popravak. Catcher Stevie Shore belted a two-run home run and UMBC added a pair of unearned runs to take a 5-1 lead. BU rallied in the top of the seventh on Melissa Dubay’s two-run homer, but it was not enough, as UMBC held on for the win.
Popravak (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits in 1.2 IP. Kearns (11-4) went the distance for UMBC, allowing three runs on four hits. At the plate for BU, Dubay was 1-3 with two RBI, while Josey Mendez, Liz Alley and Hudson each had one hit apiece.
In game two, Terrier starting pitcher Shayne Lotito was ejected in the top of the first inning after colliding with Shore at home plate. UMBC capitalized on BU’s lack of depth on the mound, shelling Popravak and Brittany Detwiler for eight runs in the first two innings.
Trailing 8-0 in the third, BU scored one run on a Tyler Benson groundout. The Terriers got right back in the game an inning later when Hudson hit a grand slam – her first home run at any level in her career – to cut the deficit to 8-5.
The Retrievers scored three runs in the next two innings to increase their lead, while BU countered with single runs in the fifth and sixth on an RBI double by Dubay and a run-scoring single from Mendez.
Hudson went 4-4 with four RBI to pace BU’s offense. Mendez was 2-3, as the Terriers hammered out 10 hits. Popravak (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on 10 hits in 5.0 IP.
The Terriers and Retrievers conclude their three-game series Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
