April 17, 2009

Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - It has been over 10 days since the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) softball team had a game, and the Lady Hawks got off to a slow start against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) rival Hampton University (HU) Friday afternoon, dropping the first game 10-1. UMES rallied in the nightcap, defeating the Lady Pirates 4-1, to improve to 14-11 on the season and 2-3 in MEAC contests.

Inde Whitehurst (Virginia Beach, Va.) received the first game loss after allowing nine hits. She struck out six in seven innings and drops to a 6-5 record.

The Lady Hawks were down 6-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning when Cassandra Carlos (Norwalk, Calif.) hit a stand up triple to right field. She then scored on a passed ball giving UMES their lone run of the game.

Amanda Black earned the win for HU, giving up just four hits in seven innings.

Carlos started the Lady Hawks in the first inning of game two with a standup double. Eastern Shore native Hannah Mills (Parksley, Va.) singled through the left side to score Carlos and advanced to second on the throw home. After Chelsea Logan (Trenton, N.J.) was hit by HU pitcher Jada Jeffries, a sacrifice bunt by Kendra Saunders (Mississauga, Canada) moved both Mills and Logan to scoring position.

Mills squeaked across when Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore.) grounded out to third before the end of the inning. Truttman would score in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dawnita Leigh (La Plata, Md.) hit a standup double through the right side to put UMES up 3-0.

HU's Sharde' Estep started the fifth inning off with a single through the left side and advanced to third on a double by Travonna Byrd. Estep scored the Lady Pirates only run when Black grounded out to second. Truttman hit an RBI single up the middle to put the Lady Hawks up 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

UMES held off a Lady Pirates rally in the seventh to take the win. Mills (6-2) earned the win for the Lady Hawks. She allowed just one run on four hits, striking out five and walking no one.

Carlos finished the day 3-for-7 with a triple and a double and Logan was 2-for-2. Jeffries received the loss nightcap loss for HU.

The teams will battle tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. to finish the three-game series.