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News Release

GRIFFITH NAMED MVP OF UMBC KICKOFF CLASSIC; TEN RETRIEVERS NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM AFTER 5-0 WEEKEND

3/6/2006

Jessica Griffith was named UMBC Kickoff Classic MVP after hitting .500 and slugging 1.214.

Baltimore, Md.-Ten Retrievers were named to the UMBC Kickoff Classic all-tournament team after the UMBC softball team won the Kickoff Classic championship with a 5-0 weekend, and senior Jessica Griffith was named MVP of the tournament.

Griffith had a monster weekend, hitting .500 with seven hits in 14 at-bats, including three home runs and a double for a 1.214 slugging percentage. Her third home run was a three-run walk-off shot in the championship game against Delaware State. She also drove in 10 runs and scored five and had a .562 on-base percentage.

Four Retriever hurlers were among the five all-tournament pitchers. Freshman Krista Kearns led the way with her first career no-hitter. Kearns pitched all six innings in the championship game against Delaware State, allowing only two walks while striking out seven in the 10-0 victory.

Junior Brittany Boyd won two games on the weekend, pitching to a stellar 1.27 ERA in 11 innings, giving up only two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out 13. She held opponents to a .158 batting average.

Senior Amy Sadowl blanked Quinnipiac in the Retrievers’ 8-0 victory on Saturday. She allowed just two base runners on one hit and one walk while striking out six. Sadowl improved to 2-1 on the season and picked up the 40th win of her career.

Senior Lauren Nicholson went the distance against Delaware State in Saturday’s 2-1 victory. She allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out four to improve to 4-0 on the season with her 42nd career victory.

Delaware State’s Ashley Gray was the only other all-tournament pitcher.

Five Retrievers join Griffith as all-tournament position players. Junior Melanie Denischuk came through in the clutch this weekend, driving in seven runs and smashing a home run and a double. She hit .333 (5-for-15) in five games out of the cleanup spot.

Senior Ashlea Underwood hit .500 on the weekend with six hits in 12 at-bats and also had an outstanding .625 on-base percentage with four walks. She scored six runs and posted five RBI. Junior Reilly Ward also hit .500 in five games with seven hits in 14 at-bats. She drove in six runs and scored five and reached base at a 52.9 percent clip.

Sophomore Dana Shepherd hit .375 on the weekend with six hits in 16 at-bats, six runs scored and four RBI. She hit a double and a triple and also stole two bases. Sophomore Stevie Shore also scored six runs and drove in four while hitting .333 with six hits in 18 at-bats. She hit one home run and two doubles.

Other all-tournament position players were Delaware State’s Katie Powell and Diana Gomez, Quinnipiac’s Sammi Allendorfer and Michelle Petree and Coppin State’s Nikki Buchko and Christen Glascoe.

The Retrievers won all five games this weekend to improve to 9-3 on the season, and they have won eight in a row. As a team, they batted .368 (50-for-136) and out-scored opponents 46-7. The pitchers posted a stellar 1.17 ERA and held opponents to a .151 batting average, allowing just 16 hits in 30 innings.

Delaware State was 3-2 on the weekend, while Quinnipiac was 2-3 and Coppin State 0-5.

The Retrievers return to action Wednesday, March 8, when they travel to Delaware for a doubleheader against the Blue Hens.

UMBC Kickoff Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP: Jessica Griffith, UMBC

Position Players
Sammi Allendorfer, Quinnipiac
Nikki Buchko, Coppin State
Melanie Denischuk, UMBC
Christen Glascoe, Coppin State
Diana Gomez, Delaware State
Jessica Griffith, UMBC
Michelle Petree, Quinnipiac
Katie Powell, Delaware State
Dana Shepherd, UMBC
Stevie Shore, UMBC
Ashlea Underwood, UMBC
Reilly Ward, UMBC

Pitchers
Brittany Boyd, UMBC
Ashley Gray, Delaware State
Krista Kearns, UMBC
Lauren Nicholson, UMBC
Amy Sadowl, UMBC

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
No. 2 Delaware State 10, No. 3 Quinnipiac 2
No. 1 UMBC 5, No. 4 Coppin State 1

Championship Game: No. 1 UMBC 10, No. 2 Delaware State 0 (6 innings)
Consolation Game: No. 3 Quinnipiac 6, No. 4 Coppin State 4