UMBC

Lauren Brummell drove in both runs in UMBC's 2-1 win over USC Upstate in the championship game.

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Junior second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) drove in both of UMBC’s runs and freshman starter Heather Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast) pitched 4.2 scoreless innings as the UMBC softball team (3-1) outdueled host USC Upstate (3-3) for a 2-1 victory in the championship game of the Campus Suites Spartan Classic Sunday afternoon.

At 3-1, the Retrievers are off to their best start since also winning three of their first four games in 2007.

Brummell led off the game with her first home run of the season, and the Retrievers held onto their 1-0 advantage until the bottom of the seventh, when the Spartans used three walks and two wild pitches to tie the game without getting a hit, sending the game into extra innings.

Under international tiebreaker rules, a runner is placed on second base in extra innings of a tournament. Junior left fielder Lynn Pronobis (Waldorf, Md./McDonough) was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth, and senior shortstop Jessica Vetock (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame/CCBC-Catonsville) advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Brummell, who drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

The Spartans followed a similar path in the bottom of the inning, putting runners on second and third with one out, but junior Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) induced a pair of pop-ups to preserve the UMBC victory.

“Even after they tied the game with two outs in the seventh, some teams would have folded, but we never gave up and fought right back,” UMBC head coach Joe French said.

Brown did not factor into the decision despite blanking the Spartans on just four hits and a walk while striking out four in 4.2 innings of work. Weigman (2-1) allowed one run in the final 3.1 innings to pick up the win in relief. Morgan Childers (3-1) was outstanding again in the circle for Upstate, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and striking out 12 without a walk.

Brummell collected two of UMBC’s three hits and drove in both runs to pace the Retrievers at the plate. Upstate shortstop Cheyanna Ohlrich was the only Spartan with multiple hits.

Brummell was named tournament MVP after batting .455 (5-for-11) with a double, a homer, two RBI and five runs scored in four games. Joining Brummell on the all-tournament team were Weigman, junior first baseman Malorie Weller (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley/Kennesaw State) and senior third baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville).

Campus Suites Spartan Classic All-Tournament Team

Lauren Brummell, UMBC (MVP)

Amanda Fefel, UMBC

Stephanie Weigman, UMBC

Malorie Weller, UMBC

Morgan Childers, USC Upstate

Ericka Harris, USC Upstate

Katie Zaunder, USC Upstate

Ashley Bensinger, Liberty

Kaylee West, Liberty

Jena Handley, Eastern Kentucky