UMBC

Printer Friendly  Email This Page
News Release

Softball Hosts Boston University for Three This Weekend; Retrievers to Honor Four Seniors on Sunday

4/18/2008

Ashley Gray

Carla O'Rourke

Dana Shepherd

Kali Shirk

BALTIMORE—After a week of rest, the UMBC softball team (18-21, 7-4 AEC) returns to the field this weekend to host America East rival Boston University (23-15, 9-2 AEC) in a three-game series at UMBC Softball Stadium. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., with a single game on Sunday scheduled for 12 p.m. The Retrievers will celebrate Senior Day with a pregame ceremony prior to the series finale.

Senior Salute: Before Sunday’s series finale against Boston University, the Retrievers will bid farewell to four seniors – second baseman Dana Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills), catcher Kali Shirk (North Wales, Pa./North Penn), pitcher/first baseman Ashley Gray (Pasadena, Md./Northeast/Delaware State) and outfielder Carla O’Rourke (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott).

In the America East: At 7-4, the Retrievers have equaled their second-best start in America East play since they joined the conference in 2004; UMBC also started the 2006 campaign with a 7-4 mark, but was 9-2 after 11 league games last season. This weekend, the Retrievers will look to equal or surpass their best record after 14 games, which is 9-5, set in each of the last two seasons. UMBC is currently in third place in the America East standings, two games behind second-place Boston University (9-2) and three behind league-leading Albany (10-1). Stony Brook and Maine are tied for fourth at 5-6, while Hartford is just a game behind them at 4-7. The top four teams at the end of the season will advance to the America East Championships.

Last Time Out: The Retrievers dropped last weekend’s series, 2-1, to America East rival Stony Brook. The Seawolves swept Saturday’s doubleheader, 10-7 and 3-2, but UMBC came back to win the series finale on Sunday by a score of 2-1 on a tie-breaking solo home run by first baseman Ashley Gray in the sixth inning. Second baseman Dana Shepherd led the Retrievers offensively, going 5-for-9 with a home run, three RBI and four runs scored in the series. Freshman hurler Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) pitched a pair of gems, posting a 0.91 ERA in 15.1 innings of work.

On the Terriers: Boston University is 23-15 on the season after a 6-0 loss to Massachusetts on Thursday, and the Terriers have lost three of their last four games. At 9-2 in conference action, Boston U. is in second place in the America East standings, one game behind league-leading Albany and two games ahead of third-place UMBC. Shortstop Melissa Dubay is batting a league-best .381 and leads her team with five home runs and 25 RBI. Outfielder April Setterlund is the reigning America East Rookie of the Week, and she ranks second on the Terriers with a .350 batting average. Setterlund and outfielder Shayne Lotito have combined to steal 28 bases on the season. Pitcher Cassidy Hardy boasts a 10-5 record with a 2.15 ERA. She has held opponents to a .195 average and has struck out 95 batters in 107.2 innings of work. Last season, BU won the America East regular-season title and swept all four major post-season awards. The Terriers were picked as the preseason favorite in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

UMBC vs. Boston U. All-Time: The Retrievers are 3-9 all-time against the Terriers in a series that dates to 2004, UMBC’s first season in the America East. BU has won the last five games, including a three-game series sweep in Boston in 2007. That series included a pair of 2-1 pitchers’ duels and a 9-7 slugfest.

Who’s Up Next: UMBC plays its final home game of the regular season on Wednesday, April 23, when America East rival Binghamton visits UMBC Softball Stadium for a single game beginning at 2 p.m. The Retrievers swept a doubleheader from the Bearcats on April 9 in Vestal, N.Y.

Streaking: Seniors Ashley Gray and Dana Shepherd are both riding lengthy hitting streaks that date to March 26 against Bucknell. Gray is hitting .465 (20-for-43) and slugging .814 with five home runs, 17 RBI and 11 runs scored and has walked eight times for a .538 on-base percentage during her 15-game streak – tied for the fifth longest in UMBC history – while Shepherd is batting .426 (20-for-47) and slugging .851 with five home runs, two triples, a double, 13 RBI and 18 runs scored and has walked six times for a .500 on-base percentage during her 14-game streak.

Another Milestone for French: Head coach Joe French picked up his 450th career victory on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Stony Brook. French has coached for 15 years at three different schools, winning 95 games in four seasons at Mansfield University, 119 games in four years at SUNY-Geneseo and 226 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 226 hits. Senior catcher Kali Shirk needs just six more base knocks to join Shepherd in the 200-hit club; she currently ranks seventh all-time with 194.

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      226      2005-Pres.

7. Kali Shirk               194      2005-Pres.

8. Reilly Ward              190      2004-07

9. Taryn McDonald      187      1996-99

10. Bonnie Nevin          164      1999-2002

Century Mark: Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) needs just five hits to reach 100 in her career.

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, 159                                               Stolen Bases – 2nd, 83

Extra-Base Hits – 2nd, 76                                Stolen Base Percentage – 3rd, .943 (83-88)

Total Bases – 2nd, 361                                     Walks – 3rd, 70

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

Home Runs – 4th, 26                                        At-Bats – 8th, 640

At-Bats – 4th, 699                                           Total Bases – 9th, 260

RBI – T-4th, 126                                             Triples – T-9th, 6

Games Played – 6th, 209                                  Games Started – 9th, 197

Games Started – 6th, 209                                 Games Played – 11th, 199

Stolen Bases – T-6th, 44                                 

Triples – T-7th, 7