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News Release

Softball Hosts Fourth Annual UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament This Weekend

3/6/2008

Ashley Gray is batting .421 during her seven-game hitting streak.

BALTIMORE--- The UMBC Softball team (3-7) will host the Fourth Annual UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament this weekend. Brown (1-3), Canisius (2-0) and Central Connecticut State (0-0) will also compete. Delaware State was originally scheduled to participate as well, but dropped out due to heavy rain in the forecast, which has created several schedule changes for the weekend’s action. The tentative schedule follows, but check UMBCRetrievers.com for the most up-to-date revisions.

Friday, March 7

8:30 a.m. Canisius vs. Brown

10:15 a.m. Canisius vs. Central Connecticut State

12:00 p.m. UMBC vs. Central Connecticut State

1:45 p.m. UMBC vs. Brown

Saturday, March 8

TBA Central Connecticut State vs. Brown

TBA UMBC vs. Canisius

Sunday, March 9

TBA No. 1 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed

TBA No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed

TBA Championship Game

TBA Consolation Game

Last Time Out: The Retrievers split a doubleheader with George Washington in their home opener, dropping the first game, 3-1, before winning the second, 5-0. Game one featured solid pitching on both sides, as both pitchers went the distance. UMBC freshman Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) suffered the loss after allowing eight hits, including two homers, while senior designated player Ashley Gray (Pasadena, Md./Northeast/Delaware State) hit her first home run of the season. Sophomore Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) was brilliant on the mound in game two, allowing just six hits and one walk while striking out five in the complete game shutout, UMBC’s first of the season. The Retrievers took control of the game with a four-run fifth inning, as the first four batters singled. Gray’s base hit up the middle drove in two, while Fefel drove in another with UMBC’s fifth single of the inning.

On the Bears: Brown enters this weekend with a 1-3 record after the season-opening Lady Bucs Invitational at Charleston Southern last weekend. Despite winning just one game, the Bears hit .339 as a team in the four games, led by catcher Linnea Anderson, who went 8-for-10.  Brown finished last season 10-33 overall returns eight players from that team, including utility player Kelsey Wilson, who earned All-Ivy honorable mention last season.

UMBC vs. Brown All-Time: The Retrievers lead the all-time series, 5-1, with the lone loss coming in the 2006 UMBC Spring Classic. The teams played four times in a span of five days that year, with the Retrievers winning three times.

On the Golden Griffins: Canisius enters the weekend with a 2-0 record after opening the season with a pair of wins over UMBC and George Washington at the GW Colonial Classic last weekend. The Golden Griffins advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament as the champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), and they were predicted to repeat in the league’s preseason poll. Shortstop Katie Miranto was named the 2008 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She was joined on the preseason all-conference team by outfielder Jenny Maheu and third baseman Cameron Norton. Canisius returns 10 players from the team that finished last season 27-21 overall and 12-4 in league play.

UMBC vs. Canisius All-Time: The Golden Griffins lead the all-time series, 3-1. The teams met last weekend, when Canisius defeated UMBC, 5-2, at the GW Colonial Classic. Juliette Bowers picked up the victory for Canisius with four scoreless innings in relief. The Golden Griffins scored all five of their runs in the third inning, with the big blows coming on a two-run single by first baseman Cameron Norton and back-to-back RBI doubles by shortstop Ashley Bonetto and catcher Michelle Fridey. Sophomore first baseman Amanda Fefel and freshman left fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee) had RBIs for the Retrievers. Bonetto led the Griffins at the plate on the weekend, going 3-for-6.

On the Blue Devils: Central Connecticut State opens its season in this weekend’s tournament.  The Blue Devils were picked to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.  CCSU returns 13 players – including All-NEC outfielder Karen Cross – from last season’s team, which finished 18-26 overall and 10-8 in league play.

UMBC vs. Central Connecticut State All-Time: UMBC leads the all-time series, 13-4. As Northeast Conference rivals, the Retrievers and Blue Devils met twice a year from 1999-2003, and was 8-2 during that time. The teams last met in a doubleheader at UMBC on March 28, 2004, and the Retrievers won both games, 10-2 and 3-1.

Shepherd Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award: UMBC senior shortstop Dana Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) has been named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which honors the nation’s best softball seniors who also excel in the classroom and make an impact in their community. The award, presented to NCAA Division I student-athletes each year in eight sports, focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. From the list of 30 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists in late March. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote that will include coaches, media and fans. The award winner will be announced and recognized at the 2008 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Okalahoma City.

Softball Picked Third in Preseason Poll: The UMBC softball team was predicted to finish third in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll.  The Retrievers received one first place vote and 35 overall points in a vote of the league’s head coaches. Boston University, the 2007 regular-season champion, is the preseason favorite, as the Terriers received 47 points, including five first-place votes. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

Milestone Watch: Senior shortstop Dana Shepherd is on the verge of becoming just the sixth player in UMBC history to record 200 career hits. She currently has 195 after knocking three hits at the George Washington Colonial Classic last weekend. She also became just the eighth Retriever ever with 300 total bases with her home run against the GW on March 2, and she now has 303 total bases in her career.

Two-Way Threat: Sophomore Amanda Fefel has started the season hot at the plate and on the mound. She leads the Retrievers offensively with a .414 batting average, a .455 on-base percentage, 12 hits and 14 total bases. She has also posted a 2-0 record and a team-best 2.13 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 23 innings of work.