UMBC

Lauren Nicholson struck out seven and improved to 7-0 on the season with her 45th career victory as the Retrievers defeated St. Joe's 6-1.

Georgetown, Del.-The UMBC softball team defeated St. Joseph’s, 6-1, on the second day of the Delaware State Bash at the Beach behind brilliant pitching by senior Lauren Nicholson (Audubon, N.J./Paul VI), who improved to 7-0 on the season and is off to the best start of her career. The Retrievers have won four in a row and 18 of their last 20, and are off to the best start in school history at 19-5.

Nicholson allowed one unearned run in the first inning, and that would be all the Hawks could get, as she scattered seven hits and walked two while striking out seven in seven innings for the complete game. The win is the 45th of her career, a school record.

The Retrievers got the run back in the bottom of the first when sophomore Kali Shirk (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) led off with a triple on the first pitch and scored on a double by junior Reilly Ward (Olney, Md./Sherwood). Junior Melanie Denischuk (Poway, Calif./Hugh Sutherland (Carstairs, Alberta)/Indian River CC/Auburn) walked, and both runners moved up on a passed ball, putting runners and second and third. Ward scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center field by sophomore Stevie Shore (New Carlisle, Ohio/Northwestern) for the 2-1 lead.

UMBC added a run in the second as junior Krissy Licursi (Sussex, N.J./Vernon Township/Sussex CC) singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Carla O’Rourke (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) and scored on a two-out single by Denischuk.

After a scoreless third, O’Rourke led off the fourth with her first career home run to put UMBC up, 4-1. O’Rourke becomes the 12th different Retriever to hit a home run this season, a school record.

UMBC added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, as O’Rourke led off with a walk and Shirk singled. With one out, Denischuk was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Shore walked to force in a run. Then with two outs, senior Jessica Griffith (Linthicum, Md./Glen Burnie/Anne Arundel CC) hit her fourth single of the game to drive in the Retrievers’ sixth and final run for the 6-1 victory.

 Griffith was 4-for-4 with an RBI on the day, while Shirk was 2-for-3 with a walk. Denischuk continued her torrid weekend at the plate with a 1-for-2 day, and she is now 7-for-10 in three tournament games. Shirk is 5-for-11 in three games, while Ward is 4-for-9.

The Retrievers will take on Drexel at 10 a.m. Sunday morning for the final game of pool play. The Dragons are 1-2 on the weekend. At 3-0, UMBC has already won its bracket. Medal play will take place Sunday afternoon, with the match-ups to be determined at the conclusion of the final pool games.