Orono, Maine – UMBC softball ran its winning streak to five as the Retrievers swept Maine, 1-0 and 3-1 in nine innings at Kessock Field.
The Retrievers improved to 23-6 overall and 8-2 in America East play.
In the opener, senior
Karly Keating (Orlando, Fla.) homered in support of freshman pitcher
Kya Matter (Dalmatia, Pa.), who pitched a two-hit shutout. Matter fanned ten and did not walk a batter in improving to 13-1 on the season.
UMBC scored twice in the ninth inning of the nightcap to prevail in extra innings. Senior pitcher
Courtney Coppersmith (York,Pa.) homered and fanned 16 Black Bears to improve to 5-2 on the season.
Senior outfielder
Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) went 4-for-4 in the nightcap with a pair of doubles.
GAME ONE:
- UMBC stranded three runners in the first two innings, but Keating led off the third with a home run to center field. It was her second homer of the season and her career.
- Maine opened the bottom of the inning with a double, but Matter retired the next three Black Bears to keep the 1-0 lead.
- Maine opened the bottom of the sixth with a single, but, once again, Matter bared down and retired the next three Black Bear hitters. She worked a perfect seventh inning to secure the 13th win of her freshman campaign.
GAME TWO:
- Coppersmith, the third batter of the game, homered to right field, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
- Maine tied the game by scoring an unearned run off Coppersmith with two outs in the fourth inning.
- In UMBC's half of the ninth, Anna Lonchar walked and moved to third base on Madison Wilson's drive to right field, which was scored a two-base error. With Casey Turner at the plate, Lonchar scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Turner delivered a sacrifice fly to left field, which plated pinch runner Chloe Obispo.
- Coppersmith retired the Black Bears in order to seal the sweep for UMBC.
The two teams wrap up the series on Sunday with a single game at 11:00 a.m.
