April 5, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Delaware State University (DSU) put up 12 runs in the final three innings to comeback and beat the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) softball team 16-9 Sunday afternoon. The contest closes out a three-game series over the weekend between the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) rivals with the Lady Hornets winning 2-1.
DSU went up 1-0 in the second inning, but UMES (10-9, 1-2 MEAC) rallied in the third. Kristi Miranda (Houston, Texas) tied the game after scoring on Cassandra Carlos' (Norwalk, Calif.) second double of the day. With the bases loaded, Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore.) hit a two run double to left center putting UMES up 3-1.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kayla Nelson (Apple Valley, Calif.) hit a two run single back up the middle, giving UMES a 5-1 lead.
Hannah Mills (Parksley, Va.) had held the Lady Hornets to just one run on four hits for five straight innings before losing steam. DSU strung together hits on the freshman in the top of the sixth inning and pulled in three runs before UMES switched Mills off the mound in favor of Inde Whitehurst (Virginia Beach, Va.).
Whitehurst got out of the inning but the Lady Hawks were now only up 5-4. UMES failed to score in the bottom of the inning, leaving DSU an open door.
The Lady Hornets waltzed right through, rallying again in the top of the seventh inning. Casey Beighley hit an RBI double to right center with one out. Chelsea Stern came in to pinch run for Beighley and advanced to third when the next batter grounded out. Tawney Reeger singled through the left side of the field, scoring Stern, and scored the third run of the inning herself when Rachel Carroll tripled to right center. DSU flew out to end the inning up 7-5.
UMES did not give up. Megan Lambertz moved from first base to pitch for Brittney Ruark and walked Whitehurst, the first batter faced. Whitehurst then moved to second on a fielder's choice and Lambertz, taking no chances, intentionally walked Kendra Saunders (Mississauga, Cananda).
After the next batter lined out to right field, Lambertz walked Nelson to load the bases for Dawnita Leigh (La Plata, Md.) who then hit a two-run single through the left side of the infield, scoring Whitehurst and Saunders to tie the game at seven all. Ebony Hahn (Groveport, Ohio) grounded out to end the inning, but the damage had been done. The game was heading into the deciding eighth inning.
As the last out of the seventh inning, Jo Jo Shields took her place on second base briefly as Ruark came in to pinch run for her. After Leslie Pleasanton hit a single to center field with one out, Andrea Waters was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lambertz reached on a fielder's choice and when Nelson couldn't handle the throw at the plate, both Ruark and Pleasanton scored.
The Lady Hawks fell apart from there, allowing seven more runs on four hits before closing the inning. UMES would load the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but only get two runs across.
Mills (5-2) receives the loss for UMES. She pitched five and one-third innings allowing four runs on eight hits.
Ruark (8-5) earned the win, and Lambertz the save, for DSU who improves to 12-12 (2-1 MEAC).
UMES heads to Dover, Delaware on April 8 to battle the Lady Hornets again in a make-up non-conference game. This will be the fourth meeting of the two teams in five days and gives the Lady Hawks a chance to even the series with DSU. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
