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News Release
SOFTBALL LOSES NIGHTCAP TO LIU, 9-3, AFTER DEFEATING MONMOUTH, 4-2 IN OPENER OF NEC TOURNEY
5/9/2003
The top-seeded Retriever softball team used home runs from NEC Player of the Year Kristie Pickeral and sophomore first baseman Lara Seamon to post a 4-2 win over #4 Monmouth in the opening game of the NEC Tournament. However, the Retrievers made six errors and dropped the second game, 9-3, to host and #2-seeded LIU. UMBC will face Quinnpiac in an elimination game at 11am Saturday morning. In the opener, UMBC (40-20) trailed, 1-0, heading into the bottom of the fifth, when Pickeral launched her 12th homer of the season with Lisa Boone on first base and one out. Seamon led off the sixth with a solo shot to right field, and later in the inning, designated hitter Crystal Beveridge singled home pinch runner Kristen Rynning with UMBC's fourth run. The Hawks (17-26) added a run in the top of the seventh, but winner pitcher Amy Sadowl (18-7) shut the door to record the victory. Sadowl allowed eight hits, but no walks in the complete game win.UMBC grabbed a 3-0 lead in the nightcap, as Abbie Kahn blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. But it would be the last hit UMBC would get off LIU pitcher Crystal Eubanks and the Blackbirds took advantage of three UMBC errors in the fourth inning to score five runs. The final three runs scored on a three-run homer by Rosette Rough after Retriever catcher Christina French failed to handle a foul ball. LIU tacked on three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to advance to the championship round on Saturday. Lauren Nicholson suffered the loss, but six of the nine runs that Nicholson and reliever Amy Sadowl allowed were unearned.