March 21, 2009
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - In a turnaround performance, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) softball team outscored its opponents 33-3 at the Hampton University Tournament, going 2-1 in the first day of bracket play.
Freshman pitcher Hannah Mills (Parksley, Va.) recorded her fourth straight win of the season over Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), 14-0. In her second career shutout, the Eastern Shore native allowed just one hit in four and two-third innings. Mills (4-0) walked no one and struck out four.
Kayla Nelson (Apple Valley, Calif.) led the Lady Hawks in the win going 3-for-3 with a double. Mills and Dawnita Leigh (Hughesville, Md) also finished with doubles.
Up 4-0 going into the top of the third inning, UMES took advantage of ECSU errors, getting base runners in scoring position. After Leigh's double scored a run, Nelson knocked in the third RBI of the inning. A dropped ball in the outfield allowed two more runners to score and put the Lady Hawks up 9-0 before closing out the inning.
UMES would bat five more in before the game was called. Kristen Cochran (1-3) received the loss for ECSU.
In the second game of the day, the Lady Hawks took on University at Buffalo (UB) for the second time in this tournament. UMES held their own, but fell 3-0, a vast improvement to their 10-0 loss to the Lady Bulls Friday afternoon.
Inde Whitehurst (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched all six innings of the loss. Whitehurst (2-4) allowed four hits and struck out six while walking four.
Stepping up at the plate for the Lady Hawks was senior Kendra Saunders (Mississauga, Canada). She went 2-for-3 against UB. UMES couldn't seem to string together the right hits at the right time to score though, stranding five runners on base. Sharon Barr pitched a complete game for UB and received the win.
UMES rebounded by scoring a season-high 19 runs against Queensborough in their final game of the day. Every Lady Hawk who stepped into the box recorded a hit or a run in the win. Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore.) had an outstanding outing. She struck out five and walked two in the shutout allowing just two hits.
Truttman (3-3) hit a three run homerun in the top of the second inning to help put UMES ahead 7-0. The third inning saw Cassandra Carlos (Norwalk, Calif.) hit a two-run single to right field and advance to second on the throw. She then stole third and eventually scored on a passed ball. After Saunders hit an RBI double, Truttman stepped up and hit a two run single to left field. UMES would finish the inning with seven more runs on four hits. Truttman finished with a game and career-high six RBI.
The Lady Hawks head into the final day of the double-elimination tournament tomorrow, March 22. First game is set for 11 a.m. against Pace University.
