April 4, 2009

Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Senior captain Kendra Saunders' (Mississauga, Canada) first inning solo homerun proved to be the game winner as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) softball team topped Delaware State University (DSU) 1-0 for the first time in over five years. UMES split their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) home opener against the Lady Hornets after dropping the night cap 7-2.

Inde Whitehurst (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched a three hit shutout in game one. The freshman improved to 4-3 on the season, walking no one and striking out five of the 24 batters faced.

With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Saunders hit a bomb over the left field fence to put UMES up 1-0. The other Lady Hawks with hits in the game were Kayla Nelson (Apple Valley, Calif.) and Chelsea Logan (Trenton, N.J.) who were both 1-for-2 against DSU starter Brittney Ruark.

The Lady Hornets only had two runners reach scoring position in the contest. DSU came close to tying in the fifth inning. Pinch runner Leslie Pleasanton stole second and advanced to third when Courtney Taylor grounded out. But UMES would survive the inning when the next batter flew out to Whitehurst.

Ruark received the loss after allowing one run on six hits.

The DSU bats woke up in the night cap. The Lady Hornets had two three-run innings to top UMES. Ruark (7-5), who finished the day having pitched 10 innings, earned the win.

Saunders had an RBI double in the third inning to put UMES down 4-1, but when Pleasanton reached on a UMES fielding error with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, two runs scored. She was then picked off after changing her mind about stealing, but DSU slid the runner in from third on the throw down, putting the Lady Hornets up 7-1.

With runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth inning, Saunders hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring UMES' second run of the game, but the Lady Hawks could not string more hits together for a comeback.

Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore.) received the loss. Truttman (1-4) struck out four and walked two.

The teams will meet Sunday to complete the series. First pitch will be thrown at 1 p.m. on Lady Hawks Field.