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News Release

Softball Hosts Stony Brook in Three-Game Weekend Series

4/11/2008

Amanda Fefel has not committed an error in 106 chances this season.

BALTIMORE—Winner of seven of its last 10 games, the UMBC softball team (17-19, 6-2 AEC) hosts America East rival Stony Brook (16-15-1, 3-5 AEC) in a three-game series this weekend. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., with a single game on Sunday scheduled for 12 p.m.

In the America East: At 6-2, the Retrievers have tied their best start in America East play since they joined the conference in 2004; UMBC also started the 2007 campaign with a 6-2 mark. This weekend, the Retrievers will look to equal their best record after 11 league games, which is 9-2, also set last season. UMBC is currently in third place in the America East standings, just one game behind league-leading Boston University (7-1) and only percentage points behind second-place Albany (5-1). Maine is fourth at 5-3, while Stony Brook and Hartford are tied for fifth at 3-5. The top four teams at the end of the season will advance to the America East Championships.

Battering the Bearcats: The Retrievers are coming off a doubleheader sweep at Binghamton on Wednesday. They used a season-high 17 hits to win the first game, 14-3. UMBC scored eight runs on 10 hits in the first two innings alone and started the game with seven consecutive hits. Senior catcher Kali Shirk (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) and sophomore third baseman Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) each hit their first home runs of the season, Shirk’s a grand slam in the fourth. Eight of UMBC’s nine starters collected a base hit in the game, while the top six batters in the Retrievers’ lineup combined to go 15-for-21 with 13 runs scored and 12 RBI. Shirk went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, six RBIs and three runs scored, while freshman left fielder Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover), senior pitcher Ashley Gray (Pasadena, Md./Northeast/Delaware State) and sophomore first baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) had three hits apiece.

Freshman Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) pitched a gem in the nightcap, allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven in the complete game victory. Junior designated player Alison Duff (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport/Monroe CC) hit a two-run triple in the second inning, and senior second baseman Dana Shepherd and Fefel hit a pair of two-run homers in the fifth.

On the Seawolves: Stony Brook is 16-15-1 on the season and 3-5 in America East play after splitting a doubleheader with Hartford on Wednesday but has lost four of its last six games. Sophomore Alyssa Struzenberg (11-6) struck out 18 batters in 11 innings in the doubleheader, and she leads the America East with 141 strikeouts on the season. She holds opponents to a .143 batting average and boasts a 2.09 ERA in 117.1 innings of work. Catcher/first baseman Marissa Fleury leads the Seawolves and ranks among the league leaders with a .350 batting average and .557 slugging percentage, while outfielder Kelsi Fanelli and infielder Vicki Kavitsky are tied for tops in the conference with 23 runs scored apiece. Fleury also leads Stony Brook with 19 RBI, while Fanelli and outfielder Sara Cerrone have each hit a team-best four home runs. In addition, Fleury is tied with outfielder Ashley Westphal for the team lead in doubles with eight apiece. Stony Brook has outscored its opponents, 132-118, on the season.

UMBC vs. Stony Brook All-Time: The Retrievers lead the all-time series, 8-6, dating to 2000. The Retrievers have won the last four meetings, including a series sweep in Stony Brook last season. Prior to that, however, the Seawolves took six of the teams’ first eight contests as America East rivals.

Who’s Up Next: The Retrievers have a week off before league-leading Boston University comes to Baltimore next weekend for a three-game series.

Streaking: Seniors Ashley Gray and Dana Shepherd are both riding lengthy hitting streaks that date to March 26 against Bucknell. Gray is hitting .486 (17-for-35) and slugging .829 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored and has walked six times during her 12-game streak, while shepherd is batting .395 (15-for-38) and slugging .842 with four home runs, two triples, a double, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored during her 11-game streak.

Milestone Watch: Head Coach Joe French needs just one more victory for 450 in his career. French has won 449 games at three different schools, including 95 in four seasons at Mansfield University, 119 in four seasons at SUNY-Geneseo and 225 in seven years at UMBC, and he is the Retrievers’ all-time winningest coach.

What a Pair: Senior second baseman Dana Shepherd became just the sixth player in UMBC history to record 200 career hits when she clubbed a double in the first inning against Niagara on March 21, and she currently ranks sixth all-time with 221 hits. Senior catcher Kali Shirk is not far behind with 193 base knocks, surpassing former teammate Reilly Ward for seventh-best all-time.

UMBC Career Hits

1. Kristie Pickeral         263      2002-05

2. Deanna Vecchio       258      1999-2002

3. Lisa Boone               249      2000-03

4. Carrie Lycett            237      1994-97

5. Amy Wolff               227      1994-97

6. Dana Shepherd      221      2005-Pres.

7. Kali Shirk               193      2005-Pres.

8. Reilly Ward              190      2004-07

9. Taryn McDonald      187      1996-99

10. Bonnie Nevin          164      1999-2002

Making their Mark: Shepherd and Shirk also rank among UMBC’s all-time leaders in a number of other offensive categories, including:

Dana Shepherd                                              Kali Shirk

Runs – 2nd, 155                                               Stolen Bases – 2nd, 83

Extra-Base Hits – 2nd, 75                                Stolen Base Percentage – 3rd, .943 (83-88)

Total Bases – 3rd, 353                                     Walks – T-3rd, 69

Doubles – 4th, 43                                             Runs – 5th, 139

Home Runs – 4th, 25                                        At-Bats – 8th, 631

At-Bats – 4th, 690                                           Total Bases – 9th, 259

RBI – 6th, 123                                                 Triples – T-9th, 6

Games Played – 6th, 206                                  Games Started – 11th, 194

Games Started – 6th, 206                                 Games Played – T-11th, 194

Triples – T-7th, 7                                            

Stolen Bases – 8th, 42