CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team used two long balls, one being a grand slam, to power its way over Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Howard University on day one of the Cavalier Clash on Saturday, February 24.
The Hawks (2-4) split their games in the evening, dropping their first contest of the tournament against Virginia 10-2 before claiming a 9-4 victory over the Bison.
"The fight this team had today was amazing," Hawks coach Karla Ross said. "We truly competed with UVA and put it all together against Howard. Every day we strive to grow and get better and they are doing just that."
Game One: Virginia 10, UMES 2
Despite the eight-run differential, the Hawks held stride with Virginia for the bulk of the contest. It was a pitcher's duel at Palmer Park through the first three frames, with the Hawks and Cavaliers combining for three hits and striking out a combined seven times.
Katelyn Smitchko, the Hawks starting pitcher in game one, manufactured her own run support in the fourth, doubling to left center and bringing Kelsie Ekstrom around the bases. Virginia responded promptly, plating three in the bottom half.
Ameenah Ballenger entered to pitch in the fifth inning, and the Cavaliers added one more run to take a 4-1 lead. Ballenger responded back with an RBI-double in the top-half of the sixth, scoring Smitchko to cut the gap to two.
Virginia put up a crooked sixth inning, scoring six runs to trigger the run-rule victory.
Smitchko, Ballenger and Kaylyn Sterling were the three Hawks to hit safely in the contest, with Smitchko and Ballenger's hits each being doubles and scoring a run.
Virginia's Eden Bigham (2-1) earned the win, pitching the full six innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven Hawks.
Smitchko (1-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs over four innings, walking five Cavaliers and striking out four.
Game Two: UMES 9, Howard 4
The Hawks opened their second Friday contest about as well as you could ask. Nola Mountain earned a free pass with one down and stole second base soon after, before Smitchko sent a single up the middle to drive her in and give UMES a 1-0 lead.
Smitchko promptly stole second base upon reaching, but it would not matter as Ballenger launched the Hawks first home run of the season over the fence and established a 3-0 UMES advantage. A pitching change helped Howard escape the first.
The two pitchers clamped down after the opening frame. The teams combined to produce just two hits and three total baserunners over the next three innings.
Howard found their chance to work back into the game, getting the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but Ballenger punched out one batter and the Hawks got another out on the bases to slam the door.
The nail met the coffin in the sixth. Smitchko tripled to open the frame and a Ballenger base hit brought her home. McKenzie Abiley dropped a bunt single to move her over and Merriwether got on in the next at-bat to load the bases.
Hawks coach Karla Ross then called for Sterling as the pinch-hitter, who put together a quality plate appearance and earned the free pass to bring another run home. Two pitches later, Ah-Nayia Oglesby launched a grand slam to score everyone and rip open a 9-0 advantage.
Needing two runs to prevent an early ending, the first three Bison hitters reached in the bottom of the sixth to load the bases. Smitchko re-entered to pitch, but a double scored two for Howard and two more came home on a groundout to third and a throwing error.
Leading 9-4 in the seventh, Smitchko finished off the Bison in order to lock down the victory.
Smitchko and Ballenger were again catalysts of the Hawk offense, joining Abiley as the three Hawks with multiple hits against the Bison. Oglesby's grand slam drove in a team-high four runs on the night, while Ballenger was just behind bringing three runs across.
Mountain earned three walks, stole a base and scored in the contest.
Ballenger (1-2) earned the win against Howard, tossing five innings and surrendering three runs, walking two and punching out one Bison.
Howard's Morgan Thornton (0-1) was handed the loss, recording just two outs in the opening inning while allowing three runs.
As part of changes to the Saturday schedule announced this evening, the Hawks will now face George Washington at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. To stay up-to-date with schedule changes, follow @ESHawksSB on Twitter.
