Baltimore, Md. – Earlier today, sophomore Valerie Hammett (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) was named America East Conference Player of the Week for her performance last weekend.  Hammett shined at the plate, going 9-for-11, scoring three runs and driving in three in the Retrievers' 3-0 week.  The sophomore also tossed a complete game against Saint Peter's, allowing one run on five hits. 

This award was Hammett's first career America East Player of the Week.

Freshman Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio/Jackson-Milton) hit her second career homerun and doubled to drive in all three of UMBC's runs in the Retrievers' 11-3 loss against Kent State (15-11) on Tuesday afternoon.

Pierce opened up the scoring in the second inning, giving UMBC (5-18) a 1-0 lead.  Senior pitcher Kim Puccio (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) allowed just one hit through her first three innings of work.

UMBC held onto the lead until the top of the fourth, when Puccio allowed a three-run homerun to left field to give the Golden Flashes a 3-1 lead.  Kent State would go on to score six runs in the fifth.

UMBC responded in the bottom half of the fifth when Pierce doubled in freshman Imani Dawson (Hanover, Md./Seton Keough) and sophomore Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz./Boulder Creek) after a Daigneau single and Erin Trnka (Goffstown, N.H./Goffstown) was hit by a pitch.  Dawson reentered the game for Trnka after the hit by pitch. 

Kent State scored two runs in the sixth to put the Golden Flashes back up eight, and the Retrievers were unable to score in the bottom half, ending the game.

UMBC takes on UMKC tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at UMBC Softball Stadium.