Weekend Game Notes

Baltimore, Md. -- Junior Imani Dawson (Hanover, Md.) capped a two-homer game with a walk-off three run blast to give the UMBC Softball Team a 10-2, run-rule, victory in five innings over Coppin State to earn a split of a Wednesday doubleheader at The Diamond at UMBC. 

Classmate Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) hit two homers of her own on the, her first was a two run shot in the Eagles 6-2 win in game one, and her second put the Retrievers up 1-0 in the second inning of the second game. 

In game two, Dawson went three-for-three with six RBI. Her first hit was a two out, two-run home run in the second to score freshman Madison O'Berg (Lorain, Ohio) and give UMBC (4-7) a 3-0 lead.

A two out error in the top of the third allowed Coppin State (1-6) to score a pair of unearned runs and trim the Retriever lead to 3-2, but Dawson hit a two out bloop single to center in the fourth to score Valerie Hammett (Mechanicsville, Md.) and push the lead to 4-2. 

Freshman Meghan Dempsey (Collegeville, Md.), who in the first game went two-for-two and threw out a runner at home, threw out a runner trying to stretch a double into a triple to start the fifth. 

Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) led off the fifth with a single and then moved second on a Dempsey walk. Anna Lonchar (Bristow, Va.) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Pierce hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Coppersmith and make it 5-2. 

Hammett singled to once again load the bases, and Jessica Choplinsky (Elkton, Md.) followed with her first career hit, an RBI single, to make it 6-2. O'Berg then got an RBI when she beat out a double-play, allowing Lonchar to score and make it 7-2. Dawson then sent the very first pitch she saw over the fence in centerfield to end the game. 

Senior pitcher Kelly Krizmanich (Burtonsville, Md.) made her first ever home start and went all five innings, allowing just the two unearned runs, while striking out three to pick up her first career win.

UMBC leaves tomorrow for Virginia Beach, where it will play five games as part of the Hampton Blue and White Invitational.

Scouting the Opponents:

Wagner (2-3):

Picked ninth in the preseason poll, Wagner is coming off a tough 15-29 season. The Seahawks do have loads of potential though, as they return second team All-NEC selection Amelia Van Orman. In 2019 she hit .273 and pitched a complete game shutout against Purdue en route to a 1-0 victory.

To begin 2020, the Seahawks are 2-3, beating both Wright and Cleveland State in a tournament at Presbyterian College. In that event, the Seahawks were led by freshman Bianca Worthy who hit a stellar .533 in fifteen at bats. Along with her great hitting, Hannah Lewis and Kaila Smith drove in six runs in the five games. Smith hit three home runs. For that, she was named NEC co-player of the week for the week of February 29th.

UMBC leads the all-time series between the two, 8-2. They last faced off in 2003 when both played in the NEC. UMBC swept the double header by a combined scored of 13-3.  

Norfolk State (5-8):

The Spartans had a regular season to remember in 2019. They finished in first place in the MEAC North and completed their best record in six years. NSU would exit the postseason quickly though, losing both their second and third games in the MEAC Tournament.

Norfolk has begun 2020 with a 5-8 record, picking up a run differential of –19. Leading the Spartans is junior outfielder Jazzmaine Hammond. The Detroit native has an OPS of 1.164 as well as hitting 3 homers in 2020. She already has won MEAC Player of the Week two times this season. 

Coming into the year, senior outfielder Shelby DesChamps won MEAC Preseason Player of the Year. She is batting .333 to begin 2020. Underclassmen Lily Potter and Alexis Robinson have also won awards early on this season.

The teams last faced off last year when UMBC swept the double-header series. They had a 12-2 run advantage as Gillian McCarthy (Northfield, N.J.) threw a complete game, shutout in game two. UMBC leads the all-time series 8-1.

Drexel (1-4)

The Dragons are coming off a solid 32-27-1 season. They won two games in their first CAA Tournament since 2005.
Leading Drexel was both Kristi DiMeo and Linda Rush. Both made first team All-CAA a year ago. Rush was named to Third Team Preseason All-American this season and was an honorable mention last year. She holds multiple school records including career home runs, RBI's, hits, runs, doubles, total bases and walks. DiMeo was second in the nation in RBI's and slugging percentage.

Drexel has struggled to begin 2020. In a tournament at UCF, they went 1-4, which included an 8-0 victory over Columbia. Linda Rush hit 7-15 during that event.

UMBC last played Drexel in 2018 where they lost 10-8. Both teams were in the ECAC during the 1991 season.

Delaware (14-4)

Preseason rankings don't mean anything... Picked to finish last in the CAA, the Blue Hens have begun 2020 with a 14-4 record. Those wins included a five-game sweep of the Cardinal Classic at Lamar University and wins over Boston College, Georgetown, and UConn. So far, Delaware has an impressive +52-run differential.

Leading UD is Sophomore infielder Brooke Glanden. She has started all eighteen games this season, hitting a stellar batting average of .436. Her along with fellow sophomore Brittney Mendoza have three home runs apiece. Mendoza is batting way over the Mendoza line at .389. Three other Blue Hens are hitting over .300. 

The teams faced off last year at UMBC. Delaware won 6-3. UMBC leads the all-time series 21-16.

Saint Peter's (0-6)

Saint Peter's is coming off a 9-47 season in 2020, and has begun this season 0-6. 

Cara McNulty has been a bright spot for the Peacocks. She's batting .313 to begin 2020.

The teams last met at UMBC in 2018 where the Retrievers won by four and eight runs respectively. 

Fans can find the weekend schedule and live stat links on UMBCRetrievers.com