UMBC

Julia Culotta went 4-for-7 with a grand slam in two games against Mount St. Mary's.

BALTIMORE—The UMBC softball team (13-8) racked up 23 hits, including nine doubles, in a doubleheader sweep of in-state rival Mount St. Mary’s (2-14) Tuesday afternoon at UMBC Softball Stadium. The Retrievers defeated the Mountaineers, 13-4, in six innings in the first game, then took a pitcher’s duel in game two, 2-0. UMBC has now won eight in a row and 12 of the last 14.

Game 1: UMBC 13, Mount St. Mary’s 4 (6 innings)

The Retrievers took a 5-0 lead after three innings. Back-to-back doubles by left fielder Malorie Weller (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley/Kennesaw State) and second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) plated a run in the first, and right fielder Alison Duff (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport/Monroe CC) smashed a two-run homer in the second. The Retrievers then manufactured a pair of runs in the third.

With two on in the top of the fourth, Mount St. Mary’s right fielder Courtney Zingle cleared the fence with a shot to left field, but she passed the runner in front of her and was called out. However, the two runners on base scored to cut UMBC’s lead to 5-2. Then in the sixth, first baseman Liz Christiansen hit a two-run homer to pull the Mount to within a run at 5-4.

But the Retrievers scored eight times on six hits in the bottom of the inning. An RBI double by designated player Lauren O'Malley (Pasadena, Md./Archbishop Spalding) started the scoring, and UMBC also got RBI singles from catcher Amanda Page (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia/Monroe CC), Duff and first baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) before center fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee), who had doubled to lead off the inning, crushed a grand slam to right-center to end the game.

Sophomore Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) improved to 7-6 on the season with the win. She allowed four runs on six hits and struck out four in 5.2 innings of work. Fefel, who entered in relief when the Retrievers led by just a run, picked up her second save of the season by getting the final out of the sixth inning. Amanda Sadowl (0-3) suffered the loss for the Mount after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 3.0 innings. Amanda Hanson surrendered eight runs on eight hits in the final 2.2 innings of work.

Culotta paced the Retrievers’ offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, four RBI and two runs scored, while Brummell went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI and Duff was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. Weller, Page and third baseman Krista Kearns (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) also had two hits apiece, as the Retrievers racked up 16 hits in the game.

Game 2: UMBC 2, Mount St. Mary’s 0

Fefel (5-1) was brilliant on the mound in the second game, out-dueling Mount St. Mary’s starter Jaime Fowler (2-7). Fefel allowed just one hit – a single in the sixth inning – and two walks while striking out five in her first shutout of the season. Fowler gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out four in the loss.

The Retrievers scored a single run in the first on back-to-back doubles by Brummell and Fefel, then added another in the fifth on consecutive two-baggers by Weller and Brummell.

Brummell was the only Retriever with multiple hits in the game, as she went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Mount catcher Amanda Burk had the visitors’ lone hit of the game.

The Retrievers return to action this weekend when they host the UMBC Spring Classic.