BALTIMORE – UMBC softball's junior
left fielder Kayla Martinez (Odenton, Pa./Arundel) went
two-for-four from the dish and tallied the Retrievers only RBI on
the afternoon, as the black and gold dropped both games of Saturday
afternoon's America East doubleheader against Hartford. The
Retrievers fell, 6-0, in game one and were nipped, 2-1, in game two
at the UMBC Softball Stadium.
Hartford improves to 18-29 on the season and 8-7 in America East
action, while the Retrievers drop to 3-39 in the 2013 campaign and
1-16 in league play.
In game one, UMBC starter Miranda Clark (Tampa,
Fla./H.B. Plant) took some time finding her groove in the top of
the first inning, hitting the first batter of the contest and
walking the next two, but the sophomore worked her way out of the
jam, striking out the side to escape the top of the first
scoreless.
Clark was unable to get out of a jam in the top of the fourth
inning, as the Tampa, Fla., native walked the bases loaded and then
walked in the first run of the contest. A double into left center
field from Kate Wacyk scored two more for the Hawks and cued the
exit of Clark.
Sophomore designated player Kayla
Margentino (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) broke up starting
pitcher Zuzana Kudernatschova's no-hitter in the bottom of
the fifth inning with a single through the right side of the
infield, but the Retrievers were unable to get on the board.
The Hawks added a trio of unearned runs in the top of the sixth
inning, as a pair of UMBC errors proved to be costly. Second
baseman Amber Andrews reached on an error to lead off the inning
and Wacyk added a one-out walk to put runners on first and second.
A two-out double down the left field line from designated player
Chelsey Mooney scored two more runs for Hartford. Mooney would
score on a passed ball later in the inning to give the Hawks a 6-0
advantage.
The Retrievers put two on in the bottom of the seventh inning,
with Margentino walking and Martinez picking up her first hit of
the afternoon on a two-out single to left field, but Kudernatschova
preserved her shutout, getting sophomore center fielder Mary
Hartman (Eldersburg, Md./Century) to strike out to end the
contest.
Kudernatschova held the Retrievers to two hits in the shutout
victory (11-12), while Clark fell to 2-7 on the season after
allowing three runs on three hits and walking eight.
In game two, the black and gold loaded the bases with two outs
on a fielder's choice and back-to-back walks, but Hartford
starter Kaitlyn Meade battled Margentino to a full count and got
the sophomore to ground out to third to end the bottom of the
third.
Hartford struck with two outs in the bottom of the fourth
inning, as Andrews sent a triple into the gap in right center field
to score left fielder Margaret Betz from first. Right fielder
Jenice Aloyo singled to left field to drive in Andrews and put the
Hawks out in front, 2-0.
UMBC got one back in the bottom half of the inning, stringing
together a pair of hits from third baseman Ashley
Scroggin (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) and second
baseman Caitlin Chance (Easton, Md./Easton). A single up
the middle from Martinez, cut the Retrievers' deficit in
half, 2-1, but that is as close as the black and gold would
get.
Meade earned her fifth (5-11) victory of the season,
surrendering one run on five hits and walking six. UMBC senior
pitcher Heather Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast)
surrendered two runs on nine hits.
UMBC closes out the series on Sunday, April 28 when it
celebrates Senior Day at the UMBC Softball Stadium. First pitch is
set for noon.
