UMBC

Krista Kearns went 3-for-6 with a home run on the final day of the UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament.

BALTIMORE—The UMBC softball team (5-8) dropped a pair of games on the final day of the UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament, falling to Drexel, 7-6, in the final game of pool play, and to Seton Hall, 6-1, in the championship game.

Game 1: Drexel 7, UMBC 6

Drexel took a 3-0 lead after two innings. Two Retriever errors led to an unearned run in the first, and a two-out double by center fielder Lisa Williams brought in two more in the second.

UMBC got two back in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by third baseman Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) and second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) to pull cut the Dragons’ lead to 3-2.

Drexel first baseman Sandi Wambold’s one-out home run in the third gave the visitors a 4-2 lead, but back-to-back solo homers by center fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee) and right fielder Krista Kearns (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) tied the score in the bottom of the inning.

The Retrievers took a 5-4 lead an inning later when an infield single by first baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) drove in a run, but they stranded the bases loaded.

With a runner on second and two outs in the top of the fifth, UMBC starter Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) intentionally walked Wambold, but Drexel catcher Ashley Botelho smashed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give the Dragons a 7-5 lead.

Hillary Allen relieved Ellen Boundy on the mound for Drexel and retired the Retrievers in order in the fifth before allowing one run in the sixth on Fefel’s RBI fielder’s choice.

Weigman (3-6) allowed seven runs (six earned) while striking out six in five innings. Fefel pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Boundy picked up the victory after getting the final two outs of the fourth, and Allen picked up the save. Katrina Gaudier allowed five runs (four earned) in the first 3.1 innings of work.

The Retrievers collected 12 hits in the game, led by Brummell, who went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Fefel and Kearns each posted 2-for-4 efforts; Fefel drove in two runs, while Kearns plated one and scored once. Wambold and left fielder Christina Rodriguez paced the Dragons with two hits each.

Game 2: Seton Hall 6, UMBC 1

The Pirates scored six runs on just five hits in the championship game. They scored three times in the first and added another run in the second to take an early 4-0 lead.

Seton Hall pitcher Ashley Forsyth, who was coming off a no-hitter against Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday, retired the first 12 Retrievers in order before Culotta led off the fifth with a single to end the perfect game bid. The Retrievers loaded the bases with two outs, but Forsyth escaped unscathed.

With two outs in the sixth, Seton Hall shortstop Brittany Schillizzi homered to left field to give the Pirates at 5-0 lead, and they added another in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Kristen Kaelin.

The Retrievers finally broke onto the scoreboard in the seventh on a two-out RBI single by left fielder Lynn Pronobis (Waldorf, Md./McDonough).

Fefel (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits in six innings. Culotta pitched a scoreless final frame. Forsyth (2-4) picked up the complete-game victory, allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven and not walking a batter.

Pronobis led the Retrievers at the plate with a 2-for-2 effort.

The Retrievers return to action on Wednesday, March 11, when they host Howard in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.