The UMBC Softball team (10-4) returns to action after a brief pause when it hosts Villanova for a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at The Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., and fans can watch the live stream by CLICKING HERE. Live stats will also be availble at UMBCRetrievers.com.
The bleachers at The Diamond are closed. Fans may view the game from the hill on the first base side, adjacent to the field. Spectators may access the fan area from the entrance to the stadium complex in the BW Tech Park parking lot. All other entrances are closed to spectators.
UMBC's America East opening series against Hartford last weekend was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Retrievers program.
Prior to the pause,
Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) and
Ashley Della Guardia (Phoenixville, Pa.) took home America East Pitcher and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for the second time in three weeks. Coppersmith went 2-0 in seven scoreless innings pitched while allowing just one hit and striking out 15. She recorded her 500th career strikeout on Sunday, as well. This is Coppersmith's second Pitcher of the Week award of the season and 10th of her career. Della Guardia hit .300, including a pair of doubles, and scored five runs in a four-game sweep of Morgan State. The freshman leads the team with 14 RBI, is second in runs scored with nine and is fourth in batting average (.417).
Scouting Villanova:
The Wildcats enter play on a 10-game winning streak, with a 13-7 overall record, including a 3-0 mark in BIG EAST play.
Villanova is a slugging team, as they have hit 28 homers and scored 102 runs in just 20 games. Paige Rauch has a .394 average, 1.114 OPS, with four homers and 13 RBI. Ryan Henry has a .393 average and leads the team in home runs (nine), RBI (22), OPS (1.308), slugging (.869) and total bases (53). Rauch also anchors the pitching staff, pitching to a 7-2 record with a 2.53 ERA.
The two teams last met on March 17, 2019 in College Park, Md, where the Retrievers won a 3-0 pitchers duel.
Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) drove in all three runs for UMBC, as Coppersmith and Rauch each pitched seven innings. Coppersmith struck out 13, walked one and allowed 2 hits, while Rauch allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Pierce went 2-for 3 with all three RBI,
Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz.) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while
Julia Keffler (Huntingtown, Md. ) went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
