UMBC

Reilly Ward went 5-for-8 (.625) in three games with four runs scored and five RBI.

Jessica Griffith went 4-for-7 (.571) with two home runs, four runs scored and six RBI in three games.

Ashlea Underwood went 4-for-8 (.500) with four runs scored and five RBI in three games.

Amy Sadowl pitched a one-hitter against Quinnipiac to pick up her 40th career victory.

Baltimore, Md.-The UMBC softball team opened its home schedule with three wins on the second day of the UMBC Kickoff Classic. The Retrievers battled the cold on a very windy day to take down Coppin State, 21-5, in five innings; Quinnipiac, 8-0, in five innings; and Delaware State, 2-1, in seven innings. UMBC improves to 7-3 on the young season and has won six in a row.

The Retrievers came out swinging in the first game, as center fielder Kali Shirk doubled to center and stole her 11th consecutive base. After shortstop Dana Shepherd walked with one out, they both came around to score on a double by first baseman Melanie Denischuk, as the Retrievers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

Coppin State struck back with a two-run home run by Patti Pabon off Retriever starter Brittany Boyd, but UMBC scored eight runs on six hits and sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the second to blow the game open. The inning was highlighted by third baseman Reilly Ward’s two-RBI single.

The Eagles went quietly in their half of the second before the Retrievers struck for five more runs in the top of the third on five hits, including a two-run home run by catcher Jessica Griffith, the first of her career, and a two-RBI single by second baseman Ashlea Underwood.

Neither team scored again until the fifth, when UMBC tacked on five more runs on two two-run home runs by Griffith and right fielder Stevie Shore, her third of the season.

Coppin State added two runs in the bottom of the fifth on solo home runs by Christen Glascoe and Nicole Buchko off reliever Jessica Taylor, but it was not enough to prevent the game from ending after five innings.

Boyd pitched four innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits, walking none and striking out seven to earn her first win at UMBC. Taylor gave up two runs in one inning on two hits, walking none and striking out two. Coppin State starter Cheryl Mastalerz suffered the loss.

The Retrievers recorded 18 hits and did not strike out once in the game. Griffith went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and five RBI, while Shore went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Ward went 2-for-2 with two runs and four RBI, while Underwood went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Denischuk also went 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI, while left fielder Michelle Olivieri went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Shepherd went 1-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI.

The Retrievers blanked Quinnipiac, 8-0, in the second game on a gem pitched by senior Amy Sadowl, who allowed just two base runners on one hit and one walk. She improves to 2-1 on the season and picks up the 40th win of her career.

Sadowl also helped her own cause with the bat, hitting a double and driving in two runs in the game.

After going quietly in the first inning, the Retrievers batted around in the second, scoring three runs on an RBI double by Ward and an RBI single by Underwood.

UMBC plated five more in the third, again sending all nine batters to the plate. After Ward and catcher Krissy Licursi walked to lead off the inning, Underwood singled and Griffith and Sadowl each doubled to drive in four runs, and Shore singled with two outs to knock in the fifth.

Kristin Sheriff suffered the loss for the Bobcats. Michelle Petree had Quinnipiac’s only hit, a single.

Underwood led the Retrievers, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI in the game. Ward was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.

In the third and final game of the day, UMBC battled Delaware State for a 2-1 victory. Senior Lauren Nicholson improved to 4-0 on the season with her 42nd career victory. She pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

Shirk led off the game with a single to center, stole her 12th base of the season and came around to score on Shepherd’s one-out single to center field.

But the Hornets came right back, as Katie Powell led off the bottom of the first with a double to left field and scored on a groundout by Cat Ansbach.

The score remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the fourth, as Delaware State starter Hannah Christian set down eight Retrievers in a row. But Shepherd led off the fourth inning with a double to right-center field and scored on an RBI single by Denischuk. That would be all UMBC would need for the 2-1 victory.

Christian was the hard-luck loser for the Hornets, as she pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out three.

After going hitless against Quinnipiac, Shepherd came back to go 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI against Delaware State.

The Retrievers are scheduled to take on Coppin State at 11 a.m. Sunday after the conclusion of the Delaware State/Quinnipiac game. The winners will play at 1 p.m. for the UMBC Kickoff Classic championship, while the losers of each contest will face off at 3 p.m. in the consolation game.

Second Annual UMBC Kick-Off Classic

Friday, March 3, 2006 – Pool Play
Quinnipiac 16, Coppin State 0 (5 innings)
Delaware State 7, Quinnipiac 5
Delaware State 20, Coppin State 9 (5 innings)

Saturday, March 4, 2006 – Pool Play
UMBC 21, Coppin State 5 (5 innings)
UMBC 8, Quinnipiac 0 (5 innings)
UMBC 2, Delaware State 1

Sunday, March 5, 2006 – Bracket Play
9:00 a.m. No. 2 Delaware State vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac
11:00 a.m. No. 1 UMBC vs. No. 4 Coppin State
1:00 p.m. Championship Game
3:00 p.m. Consolation