SALISBURY, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team dropped a pair of games on Wednesday afternoon, falling to the University of Pennsylvania by 8-0 and 12-3 finals in the doubleheader.
The Hawks fell to 6-13 after the sweep, while the Quakers jumped to 2-19 on the campaign after the midweek matchup.
Game One: Penn 8, UMES 0
The Quakers jumped in front in the top of the first, combining a single, stolen base and RBI double to bring the game's first run across. In the bottom half, Kelsie Ekstrom singled and swiped second, but was left there with Penn leading 1-0.
Penn found their big inning in the second, scoring five runs on four hits in the frame. The Hawks got two on base in response but couldn't find the hit they needed to bring them home.
Leading 6-0 heading into the third, the Quakers kept the UMES bats in check for the remainder of the game. They held the Hawks to just two hits over the final four innings while adding runs in the fourth and sixth innings to bring the run-rule into effect.
The one bat Penn could not contain, in game one or game two, was Ekstrom's. The junior followed her three-double Sunday performance at Delaware State by going 3-for-3 and stealing two bases in Wednesday's first contest.
Ryan Merriwether also hit safely in the loss. Katelyn Smitchko drew the lone base-on-balls for UMES.
Penn's Kelly Zybura (W, 1-9) worked five innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out two.
Smitchko (L, 2-6) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs in 1.2 innings with a pair of punchouts. Ameenah Ballenger was strong in relief, working 4.1 innings of two-run ball while fanning four Quakers.
Game Two: Penn 12, UMES 3
The Quakers pushed four runs across in the first inning of game two and added two more in the third, holding a 6-0 lead heading into the fifth.
Penn added two more in the top of the frame to go ahead by eight runs, but the Hawks refused the early ending. Ah-Nayia Oglesby launched the first pitch she saw in the bottom half out to left for a solo shot, cutting the score to 8-1.
The visitors scored one in the sixth, but the Hawks rallied to push two across and keep the game rolling, 9-3. Penn tacked on three more in the top of the seventh to put the day's second game on ice.
Ekstrom earned two more hits in game two, bringing the junior to a blistering 5-of-6 in the doubleheader. Dating back to Sunday's finale against Delaware State, Ekstrom has hits in nine of her last 11 at-bats including three doubles and a pair of stolen bases.
Merriwether also added two hits in the loss, including a one-out triple in the bottom of the second and an RBI single. Oglesby, Smitchko and Ballenger all collected hits and scored in the second game, with Oglesby batting herself in on the home run.
Shanya Roberts made the start as the team's designated player, drawing a walk and stealing a base in the contest as well.
Penn's Rachel Riley (W, 1-6) allowed three runs in her six innings of work with four strikeouts.
Katelyn Smitchko (L, 2-7) went the distance in game two, but allowed 11 earned runs in her seven frames in the circle.
The Hawks head to Durham this weekend for a three-game slate against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe North Carolina Central. First pitch in Saturday's (March 25) doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
