Video Highlights

Baltimore, Md. -- Sierra Pierce (Yougstown, Ohio) broke a scoreless tie with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to score Julia Keffler (Huntingtown, Md.), and the UMBC Softball team successfully defended its 2019 America East title with a 1-0 win over third-seeded Stony Brook in the 2021 America East Championship on Saturday. 

Pierce earned a spot on the All-Championship Team for the third time and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after driving in the game winning runs in the Retrievers final two games. For the tournament she batted .375 with five RBI, two walks and a run scored. 

Keffler was named to the All-Tournament Team thanks to her spectacular showing at the plate and on the base paths. She batted .444 with three runs scored, a walk and was three-for-three on stolen base attempts. Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz.) also earned a spot on the All-Championship Team after batting .333 with a run scored, a stolen base and some stellar play at shortstop. 

Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) was the final Retriever to earn All-Championship Team honors, going 3-0 with just one run allowed and 25 strikeouts in three complete games. 

The game was scoreless with neither team really threatening until Stony Brook (27-16) got two on with two outs in the fifth after an error and an infield single. However, Coppersmith escaped by inducing a soft liner to Shanel Stott (Cumberland, Md.) at second.

UMBC (25-11) had been held hitless through the first 5.2 innings when Keffler fell behind 1-2. She fouled off a few pitches, and managed to work an eight-pitch walk before stealing second. That's when Pierce delivered her clutch hit to put the Retrievers up 1-0. 

Coppersmith struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh before allowing a walk. On a 1-1 pitch, SBU batter Shauna Nuss sent a slow roller to Stott who fielded and tossed to first baseman Ashley Della Guardia (Phoenixville, Pa.) for the final out and set off a raucous celebration at The Diamond at UMBC.

The victory earns UMBC it's fourth-ever NCAA Tournament bid, and it is the first of the four to be won at home. It was also the first championship win on campus for a Retrievers team since Men's Soccer won the America East title at Retriever Soccer Park in 2014. 

UMBC will find out its NCAA matchup when the selection show airs tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.