PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – UMBC
softball's junior first baseman Chelsea
Bertoglio (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills/Saddleback
College) drilled her first grand slam in a Retrievers'
uniform in Tuesday afternoon's non-conference action at West
Campus Field. Freshman designated player Danielle
O'Neill (Loathian, Md./Southern) recorded four hits and three
RBI on the afternoon, as UMBC defeated La Salle 13-10 in game one,
but fell, 3-2, in game two.
Both team's bats went crazy in game one, combining for 23
runs and 23 hits in the contest. The Retrievers (9-37) opened up
the scoring in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of a
pair of miscues from the home team. Freshman shortstop Bridget
O'Malley (Brooklyn, Md./Seton Keough) reached on a
fielder's choice and stole second, her team-leading 11th
stolen base of the season. Sophomore catcher Taylor
Hall (Cosby, Va./Cosby) flied out to center field, to move
O'Malley to third and La Salle's first error of the
inning allowed the rookie to score and Bertoglio to reach first
base.
The inning continued with two outs, as junior second
baseman Caitlin Chance (Easton, Md./Easton) singled to
center field and freshman left fielder Jordan
Sganga (Edgewater, Md./South River) followed with an
RBI-single through the right side of the infield, to put the black
and gold out in front, 2-0. Chance would score on the next at bat,
as a fielding error on the third baseman allowed sophomore third
baseman Courtney Reinfeld (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman
Douglas) to reach first.
The Explorers (14-26) got one back in the bottom half of the
inning, as a single from freshman center fielder Casey Lester,
followed by a one-out double into right center from junior
shortstop Megan Hodgson, cut the deficit to 3-1 after one inning of
play.
The Retrievers loaded the bases in the top of the second frame,
O'Neill and O'Malley both singled up the middle and
Hall followed with a one-out walk. Bertoglio launched her third
home run of the season into left field, to clear the bases and give
UMBC a 7-1 lead.
A solo home run in the bottom of the second from senior third
baseman Liz Reed, trimmed the deficit to five, 7-2, however,
UMBC's offense continued to produce. Sophomore center
fielder Mary Hartman (Eldersburg, Md./Century) drew a
one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch from starting
pitcher Alicia Aughton. An RBI-single to center field from
O'Malley gave the Retrievers an 8-2 advantage.
A one-out double from freshman first baseman Kendra Heyer,
followed by a single to center field from Hodgson, put runners on
second and third for catcher Tristan Musho. The senior drove two
runs in on a double, but was caught in a run down for the second
out of the inning. Aughton followed with a solo home run into left
center field to pull within three at 8-5.
Bertoglio reached base for the third time in the contest on a
leadoff walk in the top of the fourth and Chance followed with a
single to left field. After a pitching change for the Explorers
that brought in sophomore Alyssa Bitsimis, Sganga picked up her
second RBI-single of the day. Reinfeld added another single for the
Retrievers to load the bases and a sacrifice fly from junior right
fielder Kayla Martinez (Odenton, Md./Arundel) put UMBC on
top 10-5. The black and gold would add one more run in the inning,
coming on a single through the left side of the infield from
O'Neill.
La Salle would not quit, as a two-run blast into center field in
the bottom of the fourth inning from freshman left fielder Alli
Waddington brought the Explorers within four, 11-7. Although Brown
was able to get Bitimis to ground out for the first out of the
inning, the senior pitcher ran into further trouble in the frame,
surrendering a bunt single and a walk, followed by a three-run home
run to left field that would end her day in the circle and bring
the Explorers within one, 11-10.
The Retrievers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of
the sixth inning. Hartman started things off with a two-out single
to center field and after Aughton made her return back to the
circle, O'Neill picked up her third hit and second RBI of the
contest on a triple down the right field line. O'Neill would
also score on the play due to an error on the play.
Clark picked up her second win of the season (2-6), throwing 3.2
innings of work and striking out five batters, while Aughton
allowed seven earned runs on eight hits in the loss (8-14).
The bats slowed down in game two, but UMBC was still able to get
on the board first. Sophomore Kayla
Margentino (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) led off the third
with a double to left field and a ground out from Martinez moved
her to third. Hartman notched her first RBI of the afternoon on a
single down the right field line to break the scoreless affair.
La Salle took its first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of
the fourth inning, starting with an Aughton walk. Kristin Travers
added a bunt single to put runners on first and second and a
sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position. The Retrievers
brought in freshman reliever Rachel Ionata (Tampa,
Fla./Palm Harbor University) to pitch, but a single through the
left side of the infield put the Explorers out in front, 2-1. A
fielding error on UMBC on the subsequent batter gave La Salle all
it needed for the victory.
An RBI-double from O'Neill in the top of the fifth,
brought UMBC within one, at 3-2, but it was not enough.
Clark was credited with her second decision of the afternoon,
picking up the loss after throwing 3.1 innings and striking out
four. Mary Cate Scott earned the win (6-8), throwing all six
innings and surrendering two earned runs on five hits.
The Retrievers return home to the UMBC Softball Stadium after
concluding their nine-game road swing and close out America East
action with a three-game series against Hartford, starting with a
doubleheader on Saturday, April 27. First pitch is set for 1
p.m.
