Video Highlights: Game 1 | Game 2

Baltimore, Md. --  Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) struck out 13, walked none and hit a three-run homer in game one, while freshman Ashley Della Guardia (Phoenixville, Pa.) picked up three RBI, including the game-winning RBI double in game two, as the UMBC Softball team opened 2021 with a sweep of Coppin State. 

It was exactly one year to the day that these teams split a DH in what would be their final games of the 2020 season. 

UMBC (2-0) pounded out a combined 17 runs, 17 hits, three homers and nine total extra base hits in just 10 turns to bat on the day. The Retrievers jumped out to a big early lead en route to a 10-0 five-inning run-rule victory in the first game, before holding off Coppin State (0-2) late in a 7-6 game two victory. 

Game 1

Coppersmith (1-0) had a dominant first inning as she struck out the side in the top half, and then blasted a first-pitch three-run homer through the wind in the bottom of the first.

Fifth-year shortstop Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz.) beat out an infield single to start the first and Julia Keffler (Huntingtown, Md.) followed with a single up the middle before Coppersmith's blast put UMBC up 3-0. The Retrievers would send nine batters to the first, but still only held a 3-0 lead. Daigneau and Keffler hit back-to-back triples to leadoff the second and give UMBC a 4-0 lead. Keffler would score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 and Coppersmith followed with a walk and Anna Lonchar (Bristow, Va.) was then hit by a pitch to put two on for Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio). Pierce worked the count full before smashing a three-run homer over the left field fence to make it 8-0. 

The score remained that way until the fourth when Casey Turner (Baltimore, Md.) hit an RBI single to make it 9-0. Shanel Stott (Cumberland, Md.) then pinch hit and made it 10-0 with a sacrifice fly to center. The Eagles got a lead-off hit in the fourth, but Coppersmith struck out the next three batters, the only other CSU hit came with two outs in the fifth as the final seven Eagle outs were via strikeouts. 

Daigneau went 2-for-3 with the triple and two runs scored, while Keffler also went 2-for-3 with a triple two runs scored and an RBI. Turner was the other Retriever hitter with a multi-hit game, as she also went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. New addition Madison Wilson (Abingdon, Md.) went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk. 

Game 2

UMBC went with a young lineup in game two, featuring four freshmen and only three players starting (Coppersmith, Turner and Pierce) who started the first game. 

After sophomore Madie Leach (Erie, Colo.) worked a perfect top of the first, Stott hit a solo home run to put UMBC up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Coppin loaded the bases in the second on three walks, but Stott made a diving play on a grounder up the third base line to end the inning. 

Logan Hawker (Mechanicsville, Va.) started the bottom of the second with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and then advanced to third on a fly out to right field. Della Guardia then ripped a single through the left side in her first career at-bat to push the lead to 2-0. Jaedyn McKeon (Sterwartstown, Pa.) was hit by the first pitch she faced in her career and classmate Macy Granzow (Glenn Dale, Md.) worked a full count walk to load the bases for Turner. The junior college transfer the singled through the left side to make it 3-0, before Stott welcomed a new pitcher with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0.

A pair of errors allowed two unearned Coppin runs to score in the top of the third, but UMBC would get one back in the bottom of the inning. Pierce walked, Hawker singled and freshman Brooke Dooley (Bear, Del.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Della Guardia hit a hard grounder to the second baseman who got the force at second, but Della Guardia beat the throw to first to pick up her second RBI in as many at-bats. 

Coppin would hit a two-out solo homer in the fourth to cut the advantage to 5-3, but the Retrievers would again answer. Stott smacked a one-out double before Pierce brought her home with a two-out double of her own to make it 6-3. 

The Eagles would quickly tie the game up at 6 in the fifth, but the leading run was stranded at third when Stott made another sensational stop at third to end the inning. Madison O'Berg (Lorain, Ohio), who entered to pitch to start the fifth, beat out an infield single to start the bottom of the fifth. She moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Della Guardia's eventual game-winning RBI double down the left field line to make it 7-6. 

After a scoreless sixth, the seventh saw plenty of drama. Coppin got a lead-off single, and the following batter just beat out a double play so the tying run was still at first with one out. The first pitch of the next at bat was a tailor-made double play ball, but an error allowed both runners to be safe. O'Berg then picked up her only strikeout of the game before a full-count walk loaded the bases. Again, it was Stott who helped UMBC escape the jam as she picked a grounder at third and stepped on the bage to end the game and give the Retrievers the 7-6 win.

Della Guardia and Stott were the only two UMBC batters with multi-hits, as both went 2-for-3 and combined for five RBI. O'Berg (1-0) picked up her first career victory after pitching the final three innings in relief of leach who allowed just one earned run in four innings of work.

The Retrievers travel to Delaware State for four games this weekend. Games will be at 12 and 2 p.m. on both days.