UMBC

Melanie Denischuk was 3-for-3 on Sunday and has reached base in her last nine plate appearances.

Baltimore-The UMBC softball team (14-8, 1-2 America East) held a 5-3 lead after five innings, but Maine right fielder Erin Iandoli hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to give her team the lead, and the Black Bears (17-16, 2-1 America East) went on the win the game, 7-6, Sunday afternoon at UMBC Softball Stadium.

UMBC second baseman Dana Shepherd led off the game with a home run to give the Retrievers an early 1-0 lead, and Maine starter Cayleigh Montano loaded the bases on two hits and a walk without recording an out before inducing three consecutive fielder’s choices, escaping the jam without allowing another run to score.

The Retrievers added a run in the second on back-to-back two-out singles by Shepherd and first baseman Melanie Denischuk, chasing Montano from the game.

The Black Bears took a 3-2 lead in the top of the third on a solo home run by left fielder Tara Vilardo and a two-run shot by center fielder Alexis Souhlaris. But the Retrievers got the runs back in the bottom of the inning, scoring three times on four hits and an error.

With one out, shortstop Reilly Ward singled to left and scored on center fielder Kali Shirk’s triple down the right field line. Catcher Krissy Licursi drove in Shirk with a single, then reliever Krista Kearns doubled two batters later to plate Licursi and put UMBC back on top, 5-3. An error and a walk loaded the bases, but the Retrievers stranded them there.

The score remained 5-3 until the top of the sixth when Kearns, who had retired the first eight batters she faced in relief of starting pitcher Amanda Fefel, allowed a double and a single before Iandoli’s two-out three-run homer to left field gave Maine a 6-5 lead. The Black Bears added an insurance run in the seventh on three consecutive two-out singles.

Kearns tried to help her own cause at the plate, hitting a home run of her own with one out in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Maine intentionally walked Denischuk and Fefel doubled down the left field line, but they were stranded there when designated player Ashley Gray struck out to end the game.

The Retrievers had 15 hits in the game but left 13 runners on base, including at least one in six of seven innings.

Denischuk and Fefel each had three hits to lead UMBC. Denischuk, who also walked twice, is 7-for-7 in her last two games and has reached base in nine straight plate appearances.

Kearns (3-3) suffered the loss for the Retrievers after allowing four runs on six hits while striking out four in 4.1 innings of work. Fefel gave up three runs on four hits and struck out three in 2.2 innings to start the game.

Jenna Balent, Maine’s third pitcher of the day, picked up the victory for the Black Bears. She allowed one run on six hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. Montano gave up two runs on five hits in the first 1.2 innings of the game, and Christine McGivney allowed three runs on four hits in one inning.

The Retrievers return to action on Tuesday, April 3, when they head to Washington, D.C., to take on local rival Georgetown in a non-conference doubleheader.