UMBC

Dana Shepherd hit 5-for-7 with two doubles, a home run, four runs scored and six RBI in two games.

Baltimore, Md.-The UMBC softball team shut down its opponents on the first day of the Fourth Annual UMBC Spring Classic, defeating Sacred Heart, 8-0 in five innings, before gliding past St. Francis (N.Y.), 17-1 in five innings. The Retrievers improve to 23-6 on the season, their best start in program history, and have won three in a row and 22 of their last 25.

The Retrievers hit five home runs on the day, including two by first baseman Melanie Denischuk (Poway, Calif./Hugh Sutherland (Carstairs, Alberta)/Indian River CC/Auburn). Denischuk and shortstop Dana Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Sherwood) each had five hits on the day. Shepherd has broken out of her slump, as she is hitting .727 (8-for-11) with three doubles, a home run, four runs scored and eight RBI in her last three games.

Center fielder Kali Shirk (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) had her 15-game hitting streak snapped against St. Francis, as she was held hitless in two official at-bats, but did walk twice. Shirk had two steals on the day, but she was caught stealing in the first game by Sacred Heart catcher Caitlin Carroll in the first inning, breaking her UMBC-record streak of 45 consecutive stolen bases. Catcher Stevie Shore (New Carlisle, Ohio/Northwestern) also had her eight-game hit streak snapped, as she went hitless on the day.

Freshman Krista Kearns (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) pitched a gem against Sacred Heart, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out seven in the five-inning complete game shutout. She retired the last nine batters she faced and picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the season. Kearns also helped herself out at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.

The Retrievers scored twice in the second and three times in both the third and fourth innings for the 8-0 win. Shepherd and catcher Krissy Licursi (Sussex, N.J./Vernon Township/Sussex CC) each singled with one out in the second, and Kearns hit a two-out single to right field to drive them both in and put UMBC on top, 2-0.

 Denischuk led off the third with a single up the middle, and pinch runner Michelle Olivieri (Brockport, N.Y./The Aquinas Institute) scored on a one-out RBI double by designated player Jessica Griffith (Linthicum, Md./Glen Burnie/Anne Arundel CC) for the 3-0 lead. Griffith rode home on Shepherd’s first home run of the season, making her the 13th different Retriever to hit a homer this season, a UMBC record.

In the fourth, Shirk walked and third baseman Reilly Ward (Olney, Md./Sherwood) singled down the right field line, and they both scored on Denischuk’s first home run of the day and ninth of the season to put the Retrievers up, 8-0.

Denischuk was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI in the game, while Shepherd was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.

The Retrievers posted 18 hits and 17 runs against St. Francis (N.Y.), sending 12 batters to the plate in two different innings. Three consecutive batters reached to lead off the game, as Shirk walked and stole second base, Ward singled up the middle to plate Shirk and Denischuk singled to center to drive in Ward and give UMBC a 2-0 lead.

The Terriers scored their only run in the bottom of the first, as Amanda Devan singled with one out and scored on a double by Amanda Pileggi.

UMBC broke the game wide open in the third, exploding for seven runs on five hits, as the Retrievers sent 12 batters to the plate. The first five batters of the inning reached base, as Ward and Denischuk singled, Shore reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases and Griffith singled up the middle to drive in Ward and Shepherd doubled to left for two RBI as Denischuk and Shore came around to score. With one out, Olivieri hit her second career home run, a three-run shot to right-center field. Right fielder Carla O’Rourke (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) and Shirk both walked, Ward reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for the second time in the inning and O’Rourke scored on an RBI groundout by Denischuk, which put UMBC on top, 9-0.

The Retrievers added eight more in the top of the fifth, as 12 batters recorded nine hits, including two home runs and six consecutive hits to lead off the inning. Pinch hitters Courtney O’Hara (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) and Licursi both doubled, with O’Hara scoring on Licursi’s shot to right-center field. Denischuk then smashed her second home run of the day and her 10th of the season to plate Licursi. Pinch hitter Amy Sadowl (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro Horsham) singled up the middle, Griffith doubled down the right field line and Shepherd doubled to left to drive them both in. With two outs, pinch hitter Heather Bennett (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) singled and O’Hara hit a three-run home run to center field, the second of her career. Licursi added a single before the final out was recorded with the Retrievers leading, 17-1.

Junior Jessica Taylor (Baltimore, Md./Mount de Sales) relieved UMBC starter Brittany Boyd (Baltimore, Md./North County/East Carolina) in the bottom of the fifth and retired the Terrier batters in order to end the game.

Boyd picked up the win to improve to 5-0 on the season, as she allowed on run on two hits and one walk while striking out three in four innings.

Shepherd was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI in the game, while Denischuk was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. O’Hara was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI, and Olivieri was 1-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Ward went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, Licursi hit 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI and Griffith was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

In the two games, Shepherd hit .714 (5-for-7) with four runs, two doubles, a home run and six RBI, while Denischuk hit .625 (5-for-8) with three runs, two homers and seven RBI. Retriever pitchers held opponent batters to an .091 average, while UMBC hitters batted .474 on the day.

In other action on the first day of the UMBC Spring Classic, Niagara defeated St. Francis, 9-1; Niagara defeated sacred Heart, 7-3; and Brown defeated St. Francis, 10-1, in five innings.

The Fourth Annual UMBC Spring Classic continues Saturday with five games. Niagara takes on Brown at 8:15 a.m. Brown faces Sacred Heart in the next game, schedule to begin at 10:10 a.m. UMBC will take on Niagara at 12:05 p.m. and Brown at 2 p.m., then Sacred Heart and St. Francis will face off at 3:55 p.m.

Fourth Annual UMBC Spring Classic

Friday, March 24, 2006 – Pool Play
9:30 a.m. Niagara 9, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1
11:30 a.m. Niagara 7, Sacred Heart 3
12:00 p.m. Brown 10, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1 (5 innings)
1:30 p.m. UMBC 8, Sacred Heart 0 (5 innings)
3:30 p.m. UMBC 17, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1 (5 innings)

Saturday, March 25, 2006 – Pool Play
8:15 a.m. Niagara vs. Brown
10:10 a.m. Sacred Heart vs. Brown
12:05 p.m. UMBC vs. Niagara
2:00 p.m. UMBC vs. Brown
3:55 p.m. Sacred Heart vs. St. Francis (N.Y.)

Sunday, March 26, 2006 – Bracket Play
9:00 a.m. No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed
11:00 a.m. No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed
1:00 p.m. No. 1 Seed vs. Winner of Nos. 4/5 Seed
3:00 p.m. Championship Game