BALTIMORE, Md. – Sophomore Caitlin Chance (Easton, Md./Easton) went 2-for-3 and hit her second homerun of the year as the UMBC softball team held off a late George Washington rally to take the win, 7-4, Tuesday afternoon at the UMBC Softball Stadium. 

With the score tied at one in the bottom of the fourth inning, Chance started a decisive four-run rally for the Retrievers with an RBI single up the middle as all nine batters came to bat in the inning.

Freshman Miranda Clark (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant) pitched five innings, giving up only one run on five hits to even her record at 2-2 for the year.

Kara Clauss took the loss for George Washington after yielding five runs on six hits in just two innings of work.

After a scoreless first inning, the hosts struck first, taking the lead on a single up the middle by freshman Kaila Balatgek (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) which drove in senior Katie Ferguson (North East, Md./North East/Cecil CC) who had led off the inning with a single.

George Washington responded immediately, however, tying the score in the top of the third on a wild pitch. The Colonials could not take the lead though, as Clark forced a pop up to end the inning and strand runners on second and third.

UMBC made them pay, batting around and scoring four runs in the inning to make the score 5-1 going to the top of the fifth.  Two innings later, Chance increased the lead to six, 7-1, on Chance's two-run homerun to left-centerfield.

George Washington made the game interesting, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to three, 7-4, but could not get any closer.

Senior Ashley Carver (Swoyersville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) also picked up a multi-hit game for the Retrievers going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring a run.

UMBC returns to the field on Thursday when the squad hosts Howard.  First pitch between the Retrievers and Bison is scheduled for 4 p.m.