Box Score
BALTIMORE – UMBC softball stranded
eight batters and committed six errors as the Retrievers dropped a
5-3 decision to George Mason in Wednesday afternoon's
non-conference matchup at the UMBC Softball Stadium. Sophomore
designated player Kayla Margentino (Unionville,
Conn./Farmington) went two-for-three from the dish and had one of
the team's three RBI in the loss.
UMBC (6-19) has dropped three-straight heading into conference
action this weekend, as the Retrievers host Maine in their America
East opener on Saturday, March 23. The first pitch of the
double-header is set for 1 p.m. George Mason improves to 7-16 on
the season.
The Retrievers put their first three batters of the game on
base, with back-to-back singles from freshmen Danielle
O'Neill (Loathian, Md./Southern) and Bridget
O'Malley (Brooklyn, Md./Seton Keough) and a walk from
sophomore Taylor Hall (Cosby, Va./Cosby), but the UMBC
was unable to take advantage, stranding the bases loaded in the
bottom of the first.
The black and gold left a runner on third in the second inning,
but were finally able to take cash in some runs off Patriots'
reliever Sarah Kleinfelter in the third. O'Malley started off
the inning with her second hit of the afternoon, with Hall and
Margentino each following with a hit to score O'Malley. A
groundout to first from junior second baseman Caitlin
Chance (Easton, Md./Easton) drove home Hall for the 2-0
Retriever advantage. UMBC was not done yet though, as a groundout
to short moved Margentino over to third and a single through the
right side of the infield from freshman Joradn Sganga (Edgewater,
Md./South River) made it a three-run ballgame.
Despite UMBC starting pitcher Heather Brown (Pasadena,
Md./Northeast) not allowing a hit through four innings of work, a
trio of Retriever errors in the top of the fourth, along with a hit
batter got George Mason on the board with two runs in the
frame.
UMBC's center fielder Mary Hartman (Eldersburg,
Md./Century) tried to make a diving catch on a hit up the middle
from patriot catcher Kaitlyn Griffith to lead off the top of the
fifth, but Hartman was unable to come up with the catch, breaking
up Brown's no-hitter. A fielder's choice on a bunt from
first baseman Casey Price allowed the Retrievers to get the lead
runner out, but back-to-back walks, followed by a two-run single
from Brooke Blankenship to put George Mason out in front 4-3.
Brown exited the contest after allowing the lead-off batter to
reach in the top of the sixth inning, bringing freshman Rachel
Ionata (Tampa, Fla./Palm Harbor University) into the circle
for the Retrievers, but the errors continued to hurt the black and
gold, as a walk and fielder's choice turned into a run scored
for the Patriots.
George Mason used six pitchers in the contest, with Kleinfelter
being responsible for all three Retriever runs. Tiffany Harvell was
credited with the win, her first of the season. Brown (3-6) and
Ionata combined to allow three hits in the game and just one earned
run.
