UMBC

Stephanie Weigman struck out a career-high 12 batters against Marist.

BALTIMORE—The UMBC softball team (4-6) used three home runs and solid pitching to take two games on the first day of the UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament Friday afternoon at UMBC Softball Stadium. The Retrievers defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 10-2, in five innings, before taking down Marist, 4-3.

Game 1: UMBC 10, Fairleigh Dickinson 2 (5 innings)

Pitcher Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) hit a two-run homer with one out in the first inning to give the Retrievers an early lead over the Knights, and UMBC added one more in the second on an RBI single by second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) to make it 3-0.

Fefel set down the first seven Fairleigh Dickinson batters in order before running into some trouble in the third, but she escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam with just one run scoring. The Knights pulled to within one at 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by catcher Lauren Hamilton in the top of the fifth.

But the Retrievers broke a close game wide open in the bottom of the frame, exploding for seven runs. Center fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee) crushed a two-run homer to left field to make it 5-2. UMBC then loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk before scoring one run on a wild pitch and getting RBI singles from third baseman Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls), right fielder Ashley Carver (Swoyersville, Pa./Wyoming Valley) and Fefel.

Fefel (1-0) picked up her first win of the season, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out six in the five-inning complete game. Kirsten Shreve (0-1) suffered the loss for the Knights after giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits.

Fefel led the Retrievers at the plate, as well, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Culotta, Thompson and first baseman Lauren O'Malley (Pasadena, Md./Archbishop Spalding) each had a pair of hits. Fairleigh Dickinson shortstop Ali Keltos went 2-for-2 to lead the Knights’ offense.

Game 2: UMBC 4, Marist 3

The Retrievers scored single runs in each of the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead over the Red Foxes. With two outs in the bottom of the first, O’Malley singled up the middle to drive in the first run of the game, while Thompson led off the second with a home run to left, her first of the season.

Marist scored three unearned runs in the top of the third to take a 3-2 lead when, with two outs and a runner on first, Culotta dropped a fly ball in center field, and the next batter, first baseman Jessie Green, crushed a home run to left field.

But the Retrievers came back with two runs in the fourth to go back on top, 4-3. UMBC loaded the bases with no outs and pinch hitter Kaela Mason (Bel Air, Md./Harford Tech) reached on an error to plate one batter, and pinch hitter Krista Kearns (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) drove in another with an RBI single.

UMBC starter Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) escaped jams in each of the final three innings unscathed as the Retrievers held on for the 4-3 victory.

Weigman picked up the victory to improve to 2-5 on the season. She allowed three unearned runs on six hits and struck out a career-high 12 batters in the complete game. Marist starter Caitlin Carpentier also went the distance in the loss. She gave up four runs on six hits and struck out nine in six innings.

O’Malley went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace the Retrievers’ offense. Green and shortstop Melissa Giordano led the Red Foxes at the plate with a pair of 2-for-3 efforts.

“I thought we played real well today,” UMBC head coach Joe French said. “We got good pitching, timely hitting and solid defense. Fefel got us started right off the bat with a two-run bomb, and I thought O’Malley, Fefel, Culotta and Thompson all stepped up in clutch situations today and got big hits.”

In other action on the first day of the UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament, Seton Hall defeated Drexel, 3-2, and Fairleigh Dickinson, 11-0.

The tournament resumes tomorrow with Drexel taking on Marist at 9 a.m. and Fairleigh Dickinson at 11 a.m. Marist will face Seton Hall at 1 p.m., and the Retrievers will host the Pirates at 3 p.m.