UMBC

Emily Thompson's second homer of the season gave the Retrievers a 4-0 lead.

ALBANY, N.Y.—The UMBC softball team (25-15, 5-5 AEC) split a doubleheader with America East rival Albany (20-10, 3-3 AEC) Friday afternoon at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the first game, 9-1, in six innings, before the Retrievers used a pair of long balls to take game two, 5-3.

Game 1: Albany 9, UMBC 1 (6 innings)

The Retrievers got on the board in the first, as second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) doubled and first baseman Malorie Weller (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley/Kennesaw State) singled, putting runners on second and third for center fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee), whose groundout drove in a run.

But that was the only run UMBC would get, and Albany scored four times in the first, with the big blow a three-run homer by right fielder Jessica Bergin, who plated another run in the third with an RBI single.

The Great Danes added four more in the sixth, and left fielder Nicole Kothe’s two-run single proved to be the game-winning hit.

UMBC starter Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) was charged with seven runs (six earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out four in five innings to fall to 9-4 on the season. Culotta allowed the final two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning in relief. Leah McIntosh, the reigning America East Pitcher of the Week, earned the victory to improve to 12-1 on the season. She allowed one run on four hits and struck out four without walking a batter in six innings.

Game 2: UMBC 5, Albany 3

An Albany error on the first play of the game opened the door for a four-run inning for the Retrievers. Designated player Lauren O'Malley (Pasadena, Md./Archbishop Spalding) got UMBC on the board with an RBI groundout, and Culotta drove in another with a double before right fielder Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) gave the visitors a 4-0 lead with a two-run homer.

The Great Danes got one back in the third on a double by center fielder Kristin Bill, then scored twice in the fourth on a two-run home run by first baseman Gina Mason to cut their deficit to 4-3.

But Fefel provided an insurance run for the Retrievers in the fifth with her ninth homer of the season, a solo shot over the left field fence.

UMBC starter Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) improved to 15-10 with the complete game victory. She allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four. Marissa Powell (8-9) suffered the loss after giving up five runs (one earned) on six hits and striking out four in seven innings.

The teams meet again in the rubber match Saturday at 12 p.m. at Albany Field.