BALTIMORE—The UMBC softball team (14-9) picked up its ninth straight victory Wednesday afternoon, defeating Rhode Island (1-17) by a score of 4-3 at UMBC Softball Stadium.

The Retrievers loaded the bases with three walks in the second inning, setting the stage for senior second baseman Lauren Brummell's (Hanover, Va./Hanover) two-out single up the middle that drove in the first two runs of the game.

The Rams sliced their deficit in half in the fourth with a one-out solo homer by catcher Nicole Massoni, but UMBC scored twice more in the fifth on a double by senior left fielder Julia Culotta (Street, Md./North Harford/Tennessee) that made it 4-1.

After retiring six straight batters in the fifth and sixth innings, UMBC sophomore starter Heather Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast) ran into some trouble in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. An RBI single by second baseman Charlotte Conaway chased Brown, and junior reliever Katie Ferguson (North East, Md./North East) allowed an infield single to the first batter she faced, which plated another run, but she struck out third baseman Fallon Scorpio to end the game and earn her first career save.

Brown (2-0) earned the win after giving up three runs on six hits and striking out six in 6.2 innings of work. Sam Bedore (0-6) took the loss for the Rams after allowing four runs on three hits and six walks in four innings.

The top three batters in UMBC's lineup – Brummell, senior center fielder Lynn Pronobis (Waldorf,Md./McDonough) and Culotta – accounted for all four Retriever hits on the day.

The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, when they host America East rival Maine in the conference opener for both teams. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m.