Baltimore, Md.-- Freshman pitcher Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) entered in relief and struck out 10 batters, and sophomore Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, but the UMBC Softball team dropped its 2019 opener to visiting Delaware, 6-3, on Sunday afternoon.

Coppersmith pitched the final 4.2 innings in her collegiate debut, allowing just an unearned run, three hits and three walks in addition to the 10 strikeouts.

Delaware (2-1) took a 6-0 in the third inning after a grand slam broke open a tight game. UMBC (0-1) would rally, however, and close the gap to 6-2 in the fifth after a pair of two-out RBI singles from Anna Lonchar (Bristow, Va.) and Pierce.

The Retrievers were able to cut the deficit in half when Pierce laced a two-out RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh, but they would get no closer.

Lonchar recorded two hits, as did freshman catcher Logan Hawker (Mechanicsville, Va.) and junior Valerie Hammett (Mechanicsville, Md.). Junior Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz.) and sophomore Julia Keffler (Huntingtown, Md.) each had a single and a stolen base. Daigneau scored a run, and Lonchar walked and had the only extra base hit of the game for UMBC, a seventh inning double.

Freshman pitcher Gillian McCarthy started and struck out three batters, but took the loss after allowing five earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched.

This game was added to the schedule late in the week, so the Retrievers will be off for 12 days before competing again. UMBC will travel to Raleigh for the Fairfield Inn & Suites Crabtree Invitational hosted by N.C. State, February 22-24. The Retrievers will face Georgia Southern and the host Wolfpack on Friday, with first pitch against the Eagles in the original 2019 opener set for 12:15 pm.