UMBC

Heaterh Brown earned the victory in the series finale against Hartford.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The UMBC softball team (24-22, 5-10 AE) scored four runs in the first inning, and freshman Heather Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast) pitched 6.1 strong innings to make it stand up in a 4-2 win at America East rival Hartford (16-20, 3-12 AE) Sunday afternoon.

The Retrievers had four hits in the first inning, but just one – a single by junior second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) – drove in a run. The other three scored on a bases loaded walk by senior catcher Amanda Page (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia/Monroe CC), a fielder’s choice by junior center fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee) and a sacrifice fly by junior left fielder Lynn Pronobis (Waldorf, Md./McDonough).

Right fielder Ann Kyzer’s RBI double in the second got the Hawks on the board, but Brown retired 13 of the next 14 batters to hold onto the 4-1 lead before running into some trouble in the seventh, loading the bases with one out on two hits and an error. Junior Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) relieved Brown and struck out the first batter she faced before allowing an RBI single to center fielder Jessica Oliveira that plated an unearned run, but she fanned catcher Sara Messinger to end the game.

Brown (9-6) earned the victory after allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits in 6.1 innings of work, and Weigman picked up her first save of the season. Siera Sheehan (8-9) gave up four runs on eight hits in the complete game loss.

Senior right fielder Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) and junior first baseman Malorie Weller (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley/Kennesaw State) each went 2-for-4 to pace the Retrievers at the plate. Thompson was 8-for-13 in the three-game series.

Despite the win, the Retrievers were eliminated from contention for a berth in the four-team America East Championship due to Binghamton's win over Stony Brook this afternoon.