Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – UMBC
softball's junior second baseman Caitlin
Chance (Easton, Md./Easton) batted .500 (4-for-8) and drove in
five of the Retrievers' 10 runs in a pair of contests against
Saint Peter's on Wednesday afternoon at Jaroschak Field. The
black and gold won game one of the doubleheader, 7-5, before
falling to the Peacocks, 6-5, on a walk-off home run.
Freshman right fielder Danielle O'Neill (Loathian,
Md./Southern) also had an outstanding day offensively for the
Retrievers, hitting .667 (4-for-6), with two RBI and two runs
scored.
In game one, UMBC (8-22, 1-2 AEC) put two runs on the board with
two outs in the top of the first inning, stringing together four
singles, including a two-run single through the left side of the
infield from Chance. The Peacocks answered back with three runs in
the bottom half of the inning, as a walk, single and double were
followed by a pair of sacrifice flies.
Saint Peter's (4-23) opened its lead up to 4-2 in the
bottom of the fourth inning. After hitting a single up the middle,
Michelle Tinajero stole second and moved over to third on a single
down the left field line from Alexis Gallagher. Tinajero scored on
a double steal that resulted in Gallagher being thrown out at
third.
The Retrievers would take over in the top of the fifth with five
runs on four hits. Sophomore Alex Zelaski (Columbia, Md./Oakland
Mills) led off the inning with a walk, freshman Bridget
O'Malley (Brooklyn, Md./Seton Keough) followed with a single
to left and junior Chelsea Bertoglio (Laguna Hills,
Calif./Laguna Hills/Saddleback College) drove home Zelaski with a
double into right center field. After an intentional walk for
sophomore Taylor Hall (Cosby, Va./Cosby), picked up an
RBI on a single to third base and sophomore Courtney
Reinfeld (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) followed with a
sacrifice fly to right field. Chance added two more runs for the
Retrievers on a double up the middle, giving the Retrievers a 7-4
advantage and cuing the exit of SPU's starting pitcher Shelby
Beaver (1-6).
The Peacocks got one back in the bottom of the sixth, taking
advantage of a UMBC fielding error, but that is as close as they
would come in the contest. Senior Heather
Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast) earned the victory (5-8),
tossing the complete game and giving up four earned runs.
In game two, the Retrievers gave Saint Peter's a four-run
cushion, before evening up the contest in the top of the fifth
inning. UMBC opened the frame with three consecutive hits, scoring
two runs, and after having two batters retired, the Retrievers
added in four more hits, scoring two more runs to tie the contest
at four.
Saint Peter's was able to once again take advantage of an
UMBC miscue, one of five in the game for the Retrievers, and take
back the lead, 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth. Relief pitcher Tori
Feorenzo tied up the score again in the top of the sixth, walking
in the tying run with the bases loaded.
Lee Harrison broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh, the
first batter Bertoglio faced in the inning, with a home run to
center field, giving the Peacocks the walk-off victory. Bertoglio
moved to 1-4 with the loss.
UMBC returns to America East action with a three-game series at
Stony Brook. The series opens with a doubleheader on Saturday,
March 30 and is followed with a single game on Sunday, March 31.
First pitch is set for noon on both days.
