BALTIMORE -- The UMBC Softball team used a pair of sixth inning rallies to sweep a doubleheader from visiting Holy Cross on Saturday at The Diamond.

The Retrievers scored two in the sixth en route to a 5-3 win in the opener, before using an eight-run sixth in game two to win 11-8.

UMBC 5, Holy Cross 3

After an error put the Crusaders up 1-0 in the first, UMBC answered in the bottom half of the inning when Ella Squaires singled with one out, stole second and third and then scored on a Taylor Nicholson two-out single. Holy Cross would retake the lead in the fourth on a pair of unearned runs, but the Retrievers would again answer right back on a Nicholson two-run homer to tie the game. 

It remained 3-3 until the bottom of the sixth when Emily Riggs hit a solo homer to leadoff the inning, and it became 5-3 when Sophie Anderson followed a Maggie Frisvold two-out double with one of her own. Jayda Koontz then worked a perfect top of the seventh to lock down the win. 

Koontz pitched a complete game, striking out six, walking two and allowing three runs (all unearned). Riggs and Nicholson each had two-hit games, while Squaires had a hit and stole a pair of bases. 

UMBC 11, Holy Cross 8

The Dawgs scored a run in the second on a Brittany Howe RBi single to score Jolie Torrens, and the lead became 2-0 in the third on a Nicholson double to plate Squaires. The Crusaders hit a grandslam in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, but UMBC got a run back in the bottom half of the innign when Squaires stole home. 

HC plated four in the top of the sixth to push the lead to 8-3, but UMBC answered in a big way in the bottom half. Torrens doubled, moved to third on an Anderson single and scored on an error. Howe singled to load the bases, and then after a controversial interference call on a foul ball had Anderson called out at third, Riley Gallagher singled to lead the bases again.

A wild pitch made it 8-5, and then after Squaires reached to load the bases once more, Kenzie Nicholson made it 8-6 with an RBI ground out. Riggs then tied the game with a two-run single down the line in right. T. Nicholson singled and Torrens walkled to load the bases yet again, and Anderson put UMBC ahead for good with a bases-clearing three-run double to make it 11-8.

Koontz then entered for the save and struke out three around allowing a two out double for her her first career save. Bella Nunn picked up the victory after getting the final out of the sixth. Maggie Frisvold struck out seven in 3.1 innings of work while allowing just two hits. 

Anderson went a career-best 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Torrens and Squaires each had two hits and scored three runs. 

The two teams will play an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday.