Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Baltimore, Md. -- Sophomore third baseman Kaelin Jackson (Export, Pa/Franklin Regional) banged out two homers as the UMBC Softball team scored 15 runs in two games while earning a split of Sunday's home doubleheader with Fairleigh Dickinson.
GAME 1
Jackson's two-run homer sparked a five-run second inning that gave UMBC (5-11) an early seven-run lead en route to a 9-0 five-inning victory in Game 1. Her solo shot in the fourth inning of Game 2 helped the Retrievers rally from an early five-run deficit before falling, 7-6.
The early offensive outburst put the Retrievers in charge during the first game and helped it end after four-and-a-half innings -- thanks to the eight-run rule. Carly Lesko (New Milford, N.J./New Milford) started things with a two-run single in the first for a quick lead.
The second inning saw a Morgan Peyou (Mercer Island, Wash/Mercer Island) RBI single, plus a sacrifice fly from Bridget O'Malley (Baltimore,Md./Seton Keough) along with the Jackson homer. Tori Alexander (Woodbridge,Va/Woodbridge Senior) scored on a throwing error, and all of that pushed the Dawgs' lead to 7-0.
O'Malley added an RBI single in the third before Jaclyn Buckley's run-scoring double made it 9-0 an inning later. All of that was more than enough for pitcher Jessica Holte (Ashland,Va./Atlee) (2-4). She went the distance, scattering three hits in her five innings with three strikeouts and two walks.
GAME 2
The Retrievers fell behind quickly in Game 2 as Fairleigh Dickinson (1-5) scored a total of five runs in the first two innings.
Peyou's RBI single in the third made it 5-1. Lesko and Jackson belted back-to-back homers one inning later to cut the lead to 6-3. Losing 7-3 in the sixth, Chelsie Delpuerto (Syracuse,N.Y./Solvay) got a sacrifice fly, and Alexander drove in a run with a single.
That made it 7-5, and Kelly Lane's (Albany,N.Y./Colonie Central) RBI single cut the lead to 7-6 and put runners on first and third with one out in the seventh -- but UMBC couldn't bring in the tying run.
Lane started but lasted just 1 2/3 innings after giving up five runs on five hits. Kim Puccio (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) came in and pitched well in long relief, allowing two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out six without a walk.
The Retrievers return to action on Tuesday when they host Coppin State for a single game at 2 p.m.
