UMBC

Courtney O'Hara went 4-for-5 with three runs, two doubles and a triple in two games on the second day of the UMBC Spring Classic.

Baltimore, Md.-The UMBC softball team split a pair of games on the second day of the UMBC Spring Classic, falling to Niagara, 4-2, before defeating Brown, 9-1, in five innings. The Retrievers are off to the best start in school history at 24-7, and they have won 23 of their last 27 games.

Niagara starter Tiffany McCrory silenced the Retrievers’ bats in the first game, as they could not string together a big inning. UMBC starter Lauren Nicholson (Audubon, N.J./Paul VI) struggled early on, allowing two runs on four hits in the first inning and another two runs on three hits in the third, as the Purple Eagles took a 4-0 lead.

Left fielder Courtney O’Hara (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) tripled to lead off the third inning and scored on a throwing error by catcher Nicole Sum, which allowed third baseman Reilly Ward (Olney, Md./Sherwood) to reach base after a dropped third strike. The run pulled the Retrievers to within three at 4-1.

Nicholson settled down after the third inning, retiring 11 of the final 13 batters she faced.

After going down in order in the fourth, UMBC added another run in the fifth, as right fielder Krissy Licursi (Sussex, N.J./Vernon Township/Sussex CC) doubled and pinch runner Carla O’Rourke (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) scored on a one-out RBI single by Ward.

The Retrievers’ attempted rally in the bottom of the seventh fell short, as O’Hara led off the inning with an infield single but was stranded there.

Nicholson (9-1) suffered her first loss of the season, as she allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five in the seven-inning complete game. McCrory also went the distance for the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out four.

O’Hara was the only Retriever with multiple hits, as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.

UMBC’s bats woke up in the second game, exploding for six runs in the first inning against Brown, all with two outs. First baseman Melanie Denischuk (Poway, Calif./Hugh Sutherland (Carstairs, Alberta/Indian River CC/Auburn) hit her third home run of the weekend and her team-leading 11th of the season for the early 1-0 lead, and the next three batters walked, loading the bases for Licursi, who was hit by a pitch to force in a run.

Second baseman Ashlea Underwood (Visalia, Calif./Central Valley Christian/Reedley JC) reached on an error to drive in another run, and O’Hara doubled to left center to plate two more, and Underwood came around on an error by the shortstop on the relay for the 6-0 advantage.

Brown scored its only run in the third on a walk, a single and a two-out RBI double, but UMBC starter Krista Kearns (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) got center fielder Kelsey Wilson to ground out for the final out of the inning with UMBC ahead, 6-1.

Licursi led off the bottom of the third with her first home run of the season, making her the 14th different Retriever to homer this season, a UMBC record. Underwood singled but was thrown out at the plate when she tried to score from first on O’Hara’s double. Shirk then singled to drive in O’Hara and put the Retrievers up, 8-1.

Kearns set the Brown batters down in order in the top of the fourth, but UMBC could not capitalize on a leadoff single by shortstop Dana Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) in the bottom of the inning.

Two Bears reached base in the top of the fifth on a walk and a single, but first baseman Ava Amini struck out and second baseman Jaimie Wirkowski grounded out to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, O’Hara walked, stole second and scored on Ward’s game-winning RBI double, ending the game by the eight-run rule and giving the Retrievers a 9-1 victory.

Kearns allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven in the five-inning complete game, improving to 6-2 on the season. Kristen Schindler started the game for Brown and suffered the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit and three walks in 0.2 innings. Michelle Moses relieved her and gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out three in 1.2 innings. Heather Garrison finished the game for the Bears, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out one in 2.1 innings of work.

O’Hara was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI to lead the Retrievers. Shepherd was also 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Licursi was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.

O’Hara went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, two doubles, a triple, a walk and two RBI in the two games. Shepherd was 3-for-5 with a run and a walk, while Licursi was 2-for-4 with two runs, a double, a home run and two RBI.

In the four games of the UMBC Spring Classic, O’Hara is 6-for-7 with six runs scored, three doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBI. She has reached base at an .875 clip and she is slugging 2.000. Shepherd is 8-for-12 with five runs, two doubles, a home run and six RBI, while Licursi is 5-for-9 with three runs, two doubles, a home run and two RBI.

In other UMBC Spring Classic action on Saturday, Niagara defeated Brown, 7-1 and Brown defeated Sacred Heart, 4-3.

At 3-1, UMBC enters Sunday’s championship bracket play as the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 3 Brown (2-2) at 11 a.m. Sacred Heart and St. Francis (N.Y.) will face off at 9 a.m., with the winner taking on top seed Niagara (4-0) at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will face the winner of the UMBC/Brown game at 3 p.m. for the UMBC Spring Classic championship.

Fourth Annual UMBC Spring Classic

Friday, March 24, 2006 – Pool Play
Niagara 9, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1
Niagara 7, Sacred Heart 3
Brown 10, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1 (5 innings)
UMBC 8, Sacred Heart 0 (5 innings)
UMBC 17, St. Francis (N.Y.) 1 (5 innings)

Saturday, March 25, 2006 – Pool Play
Niagara 7, Brown 1
Brown 4, Sacred Heart 3
Niagara 4, UMBC 2
UMBC 9, Brown 1 (5 innings)
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 UMBC vs. No. 3 Brown
1:00 p.m. No. 1 Niagara vs. Sacred Heart/St. Francis (N.Y.) winner
3:00 p.m. Championship Game