March 22, 2012
Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team came within one out of posting its first victory of the season against South Carolina State, but was unable to seal the deal as the women fell, 5-4, to the Bulldogs in the nightcap. The loss was the second of the day for UMES, who fell 7-3 in the opener.
UMES (0-14) held a one-run advantage, 4-3, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. It looked as if the Hawks would escape with their first victory of the season as SCSU's leadoff hitter, LaTavia Riley, hit a harmless fly ball to right-field. The catch, which would have ended the game, was not made and an unearned run would score, before a single to left scored Riley to give SCSU the win.
After falling behind 1-0 after three innings, the Hawks opened their scoring with a two-run fourth. The 2-1 advantage did not lost long as South Carolina State (11-15) scored two in the bottom half to take a 3-2 lead. The game was scoreless in the fourth, but the Hawks made a big charge in the fifth.
Junior Carmen Gurrola (Arleta, Calif.) doubled to open the frame and scored on a single by freshman Morgan King (Danville, Ill.). Junior Jasmine James (Willingboro, N.J.) collected the third straight hit for the Hawks with a liner up the middle to score King, but the rally was thwarted after Vianne Gomez came out of the pen to retire the next three UMES hitters.
Gurrola held SCSU scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and Gomez notched another blank frame in the seventh. The 4-3 Hawk advantage proved to not be enough as the two runs by the Bulldogs in the seventh provided UMES with its 14th loss of the year.
The Hawks started from behind in the first game, where SCSU took a 7-0 lead after two innings of play. Of those seven runs, just two were credited to Gurrola. The Hawks narrowed their deficit to six, 7-1, in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Cherokee Williams (Upper Marlboro, Md.) reached on an error and was played two batters later when King doubled.
Williams would come around the base again in the sixth, when she singled to open the inning and scored on an RBI single by King. The hit was King's third of the game.
The scoring for the Hawks was capped in the seventh, when senior CyAnna Scott (Paterson, N.J.) singled with one away and later scored on an RBI triple by junior Kristen Lee (Bowie, Md.).
UMES was led in the contests by Gurrola, who gave up just four earned runs in over 12 innings of work. The two complete games were her 13th and 14th of the season as the junior has pitched every inning for UMES this year.
The offense was led by King, who finished the day 6-for-7 with three RBIs and one run scored. Scott was 3-for-7 and scored a run.
UMES returns to action on Thursday, March 22 with a bout at North Carolina A&T University. The Hawks will then return home this weekend to square off with Howard University in a pivotal MEAC matchup.
For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com
