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Hot-Hitting Softball Sweeps UMBC, 5-1 and 3-2
April 4, 2001
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland softball squad (26-13) continued to swing hot bats and used a "heads up" play to retain momentum in extending its win streak to a season-high five games with a doubleheader sweep of local-rival UMBC (10-10). Junior catcher Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.) began the twinbill with a towering two-run homer in Game 1 and effectively ended UMBC's chance at a comeback in Game 2 with an appeal as the Terps took a pair from the Retrievers, 5-1 and 3-2, on Maryland's campus. Every Terp in the lineup recorded at least one hit to total 11 in the nightcap, but the contest remained scoreless until a Monica Cyphert (Warren, Ohio) single plated Radford to give Maryland a slim lead. The Terps increased its advantage to 3-0 on Kiesha Pickeral's (Hughesville, Md.) seventh homer of the season, a two-run blast that scored senior Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) in the fifth. When the unrelenting Retrievers used four hits to cross a pair and narrow the margin in the sixth, Radford erased the tying run on a sacrifice fly by appealing that UMBC's runner left early from third. A trio of Terp pitchers kept UMBC from mounting any serious threat before that inning. Cyphert earned her seventh victory of the year in the middle innings, while fireballer Amanda Bettker (St. Petersburg, Fla.) came on late in the game to collect her second season save and cap a stellar day. Junior ace Bettker tossed a three-hit, seven strikeout gem in Game 1 to improve her record to 8-3 on the season. Her only mistake was a solo shot to Retriever third baseman Vickie Buisset in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Maryland's offense collected four runs on three hits in the first and took advantage of a UMBC miscue to put the game away early. After leadoff batter Michelle Burrell (Owego, N.Y.) singled and eventually scored on a "safety squeeze" bunt by Pickeral, Radford followed two batters later with her sixth dinger of the year.
The Terps made the final 5-1 as sophomore sparkplug Jillian Callaway (Brandywine, Md.) slapped a RBI-single through the right side to score enthusiastic freshman Casey Leiter (Lake Stevens, Wash.). Radford ended her day 2-for-5 (.400) with three RBI and two runs scored. Burrell added a 3-for-6 (.500) performance with a run, while Callaway was a sensational 4-for-6 (.667). Leiter and Pickeral finished with two hits apiece. The Terps travel to nearby Fairfax, Va., for the George Mason Invitational this weekend. Maryland meets the host Patriots on Saturday, April 7 at 9 a.m. to lead off the event.
Contact: Mark Fratto |
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