UMBC

Krista Kearns hit two home runs against Howard.

BALTIMORE—The UMBC softball team (4-8) hits five home runs, including two each by sophomore Amanda Fefel and junior Krista Kearns, as the Retrievers split a doubleheader with local rival Howard (1-8) Wednesday afternoon at UMBC Softball Stadium. The Retrievers won the first game, 14-6, in five innings, while the Bison took game two, 2-1.

UMBC scored in all five innings in the first game and held a 9-2 lead after three frames. The Retrievers scored three times in the bottom of the first, getting a two-run single from freshman right fielder Julia Culotta and another RBI base hit from Kearns.

An RBI double from Howard second baseman Brianne Gutierrez put the Bison on the board in the top of the second, but the Retrievers came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning on a grand slam by designated player Ashley Gray.

Howard shortstop Candice Tatum hit a solo homer in the top of the second to make the score 7-2, but the Retrievers added two in the bottom half of the frame. The Bison responded with a two-run home run by third baseman Emily Johnson an inning later, but UMBC again came back with three runs on a solo homer by Fefel and a two-run shot by Kearns.

The Bison again added two runs in the top of the fifth, but Fefel hit a walk-off homer – UMBC fourth round-tripper of the game – in the bottom of the inning to send the Retrievers to the 14-6 victory.

Fefel and Kearns led the Retrievers offensively, each going 3-for-3 with three RBI in the game, while Gray and senior catcher Kali Shirk contributed 2-for-4 efforts.

Tatum and left fielder Maya Spencer led the Bison at the plate with two hits apiece.

Fefel also picked up the victory on the mound to improve to 3-0 despite allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. Gray gave up two runs on three hits in one inning of relief. Jessica Hurston started the game for Howard and allowed nine runs on nine hits and three walks in three innings, suffering the loss. Christina McCoy surrendered the final five runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

After the teams combined to score 20 runs in game one, they scored just three in the nightcap, all on home runs.

The Retrievers struck first when Kearns led off the second inning with a solo shot.

Freshman pitcher Stephanie Weigman breezed through the first six innings, retiring the first seven batters she faced and allowing just two base runners on a single and a walk, and she struck out the side in the second inning. But with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the seventh, Gutierrez homered to put the Bison on top, 2-1, and the Retrievers could not respond in the bottom of the frame.

Weigman suffered the tough-luck loss, as she gave up just the two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out a career-high eight batters in her second consecutive complete game. Dale McNeal picked up the victory for Howard; despite walking six batters, she allowed just one run on five hits while striking out five in seven innings of work.

Gutierrez had both of Howard’s hits in the game, while five different Retrievers had UMBC’s five base knocks.

The Retrievers return to action this weekend when they head to the Maryland Terrapin Spring Break Invitational in College Park, Md., where they will face Lehigh, Valparaiso, St. Peter’s, Niagara and the host Terps.