UMBC

Melanie Denischuk hit a home run and drove in two against Delaware.

Newark, Del.-The UMBC softball team (9-4) had its winning streak snapped at eight Wednesday afternoon with a 5-4 loss to host Delaware (3-3) at Delaware Field. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was halted due to darkness before it became official.

The Retrievers jumped on Blue Hen starter Carolynn Sloat early, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Right fielder Stevie Shore doubled to left field with one out and scored on a single by shortstop Dana Shepherd. One out later, third baseman Reilly Ward singled and catcher Jessica Griffith doubled to drive in both runners.

Delaware manufactured a run in the bottom half of the inning as second baseman Allison Borchers led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by right fielder Katie DeSalvo, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Kim Ovittore.

The Blue Hens chipped away at the Retrievers’ two-run lead in the bottom of the third as Borchers doubled and DeSalvo singled. After getting two outs, UMBC starter Amy Sadowl walked the next two batters to force in a run, but escaped further damage.

But the Retrievers got that run back in the top of the fifth when first baseman Melanie Denischuk hit a her fourth home run of the season, a mammoth solo shot to right field with one out.

Delaware’s big inning came in the fifth, when third baseman Michelle Plant and Ovittore each singled to lead off the inning. With one out, center fielder Katie Lee tripled to center field to drive in both runners, then scored on a fielder’s choice by designated player Jessica Kozlowski to give the Blue Hens a 5-4 lead.

Sloat limited the Retrievers to just two base runners over the final two innings on a leadoff walk to left fielder Courtney O’Hara in the sixth and a one-out single by Denischuk in the seventh. Sloat pitched the complete game to pick up the win, allowing four runs, all earned, on nine hits and three walks while striking out four.

Sadowl (2-2) suffered the loss for UMBC, pitching five innings and allowing all five Delaware runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three. Krista Kearns pitched the sixth for the Retrievers, allowing a leadoff hit to Borchers.

Denischuk and Ward each went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the game, while Griffith was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

The Retrievers were leading, 5-2, with one out in the top of the fifth in the second game before it was stopped by the umpires for darkness. UMBC starter Lauren Nicholson had allowed two runs on two hits in four innings of work. Denischuk hit two monster home runs – a three-run shot in the first and a two-run blast in the fifth – to drive in all five UMBC runs, but as the game did not reach the required five full innings to become official, none of the stats count.

The Retrievers return home this weekend to host the Second Annual UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament, all day March 10-12, at UMBC Softball Stadium. Howard, UMES, Vermont and St. Francis (Pa.) will compete.