Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From UMBC

Game 2
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
UMBC (19-27)	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	5
Maine (14-26-1)	1	4	2	1	0	1	9	13	1
@ Orono, Maine | Kessock Field

Pitching
Win: Beth Spoehr (5-7) - Maine
Loss: Brown, Heather (8-10) - UMBC

UMBC Batting
2B: Yannone, Angela
3B: none
HR: none

Maine Batting
2B: Jessica Burk
3B: Jennifer Eberhardt; Kristen Koslosky
HR: none

full stats

ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine softball team (14-26-1, 5-7-1 America East) used the combination of 21-hits, solid defense and stellar pitching to capture a doubleheader sweep of UMBC (19-27, 1-13 AE) on Saturday afternoon. Maine won game one 7-1 before taking game two 9-1 in six-innings. Jennifer Eberhardt (Glendale, Ariz.) went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, one run scored and an RBI while Jessica Burk (Warrenton, Va.) enjoyed a 4-for-8 day with three runs scored and two doubles while driving in three. Lindsey Jenkins (Greenwich, Conn.) also had a solid day as the senior went 3-for-6 with a run scored and a RBI.

Maine wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in game one as it plated a run in the home half of the first inning. EmJ Fogel (Vienna, Va.) started off the game by beating out a single to short. Burk followed by shooting a ball the other way, doubling into the right centerfield gap and scoring Fogel on the play.

The Retrievers knotted the score at 1-1 as they pushed a run across in the top of the third. Jessica Warner led off the inning with a double to left center before advancing to third on a fielder's choice by Taylor Hall. Warner then scored when Angela Yannone singled through the right side.

The Black Bears quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to regain the lead. With one away in the inning, Fogel stroked a double into the right centerfield gap. Burk followed with a single through the left side, advancing Fogel to third. Burk then stole second before Eberhardt sent a fly to center, deep enough for Fogel to tag and score Maine's second run of the game and also allowing Burk to move over to third. Hilary Kane (Concord, N.H.) then sent a groundball to short that was thrown away by the UMBC shortstop, allowing Burk to score and Kane to reach second on the error. Dagmar Ralphs (O'Fallon, Ill.) finished the Maine rally with a double to right center, plaing Kane and giving Maine a 4-1 lead.

Maine put the game out of reach with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kane started the inning by reaching first after getting hit by a pitch. Ralphs then singled up the middle. Jenny MacDowell (Littleton, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice as Kane was erased at third. Margart Hilton (Lyndonville, Vt.) worked a walk to load the bases before Jenkins reached on an error, allowing Ralphs to score. Kristen Koslosky (Castro Valley, Calif.) then doubled over the left fielder's head, plating both Hilton and MacDowell on the play.

Maine shut down the Retrievers in order in the seventh to take the victory 7-1. Ashley Kelley (Hermon, Maine) moves to 7-11 in the circle for Maine as she picks up the win after going five innings and giving up one run on five hits with five strikeouts. Kylie Sparks (Kirkland, Wash.) pitched the final two innings for Maine, picking up her first save of the season after sitting down all six hitters she faced while fanning three.

UMBC jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in game two as they plated a run in the top of the first. With the bases loaded and two away in the inning, Ashley Carver singled down the left field line, plating Taylor Hall with the first run of the game.

Maine bounced right back with a run of its own in the home half of the first to tie things up at 1-1. With two outs, Eberhardt laced a triple to the wall in left. Kane followed by ripping a single up the middle which allowed Eberhardt to trot in from third.

The Black Bears stretched things out a bit with four runs in the second and two more in the third. Hilton started the Maine second with a one out single up the middle and scored soon after on a triple down the leftfield line by Koslosky. Jenkins then singled back to the pitcher and later stole second. With two outs in the inning, Burk ripped a double down the leftfield line, driving in both Hilton and Jenkins. Eberhardt kept the rally going when her single through the right side scored Burk, giving Maine a 5-1 lead.

Maine then capitalized on a pair of UMBC errors in the bottom of the third to plate two more runs, extending its lead to 7-1 after three innings of play. With two outs in the inning, Hilton reached on an error by the Retrievers' second baseman before advancing to third after Koslosky reached on another UMBC error. Jenkins' slap-single to left loaded the bases for Maine before Fogel dropped a single into left-center, scoring both Hilton and Koslosky.

A bases loaded single by Ralphs in the bottom of the fourth gave stretch Maine's lead to 8-1. Burk began the inning with a single before Eberhardt worked a walk. Kane then reached on a throwing error by the Retrievers' shortstop to load the bases before Ralphs' single plated Burk with Maine's eighth run of game two.

The Black Bears would put UMBC away with the eight-run rule when they plated their ninth run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth. Ralphs started the inning by reaching on an error before Stephanie Wood (Florence, N.J.) pinch ran for the sophomore left fielder. Nikki Byron (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) moved Wood up to second with a sac-bunt before Hilton grounded out to the right side, allowing Wood to reach third. Koslosky then put the ball in play and reached on an error while Wood came in from third with the game-winning run.

Beth Spoehr (Appleton, Wis.) kept the UMBC hitters in check as she picked up her fifth win of the season after going six innings while giving up just one run on six hits with five strikeouts.

The Black Bears will look to complete the weekend sweep when the two teams meet up tomorrow morning beginning at 11 a.m. Maine will honor its five seniors prior to tomorrow's game.

-U-M-