SALISBURY, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team split their home doubleheader against South Carolina State on Sunday, April 2, taking a barn-burning game one by an 11-10 final before falling 12-5 in the second contest.
The Hawks wrapped the day at 7-17 on the season and 3-4 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. S.C. State moved to 3-20 through Sunday's contests with a 2-5 conference record.
It was a good day to be a Hawk freshman. Across both games,
Katelyn Smitchko and
Jaycee Holt each drove in four runs. Holt plated four in the first game, while Smitchko piled up four RBI in the second.
Shanya Roberts collected her first two collegiate RBI, also scoring two runs and stealing a base in the win.
Morea Hodge recorded her first career hit and played an impressive center field on Sunday.
Game One: UMES 11, SCSU 10
It was a battle of the bats in the first game of the doubleheader. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the first, before UMES nabbed two runs back in the bottom half.
Jaycee Holt opened the game the way she often does, with a base hit and a stolen base soon after. One out later,
Kelsie Ekstrom reached on an error that saw Holt race home to get the Hawks on the board.
Ameenah Ballenger grounded out to plate Ekstrom later in the inning and the deficit was down to one.
The Bulldogs promptly plated two more in the top of the second, and UMES again clapped back with a run in the bottom.
McKenzie Abiley doubled to center before scoring on an error later in the inning.
UMES found their groove with the bats in the third. A
Ryan Merriwether double scored two, and
Shanya Roberts singled to center two plate two more later in the frame. Roberts scored on a sacrifice fly before the inning concluded, giving the Hawks an 8-5 lead.
UMES struck again an inning later. Holt stepping in and slugged a bases-loaded, three-RBI double to left field to put the Hawks in front 11-5.
The Bulldogs scored two in the fifth and added three more in the sixth, but the Hawks prevented the tying run late to edge out the victory.
Holt and Ballenger each had two hits in the win, with Holt bringing in a team-high four runs. Merriwether and Roberts each hit safely while adding pairs of RBI.
Smitchko (W, 3-9) worked 5.2 innings, allowing five earned runs and punching out two Bulldogs. Ballenger earned the save in relief, clamping down the final 1.1 innings with a one-run advantage.
SCSU's DeAsia Lowther (L, 0-9) worked all but 11 pitches in the contest, surrendering 11 runs (six earned) over six innings of work. Zarria Smith entered in the third but did not record an out.
Game Two: SCSU 12, UMES 5
The Bulldog bats came out on top in game two. They jumped in front with four runs on four hits in the top of the first.
Again the Hawks battled, tacking three back on in the bottom of the frame. After three straight singles to open the inning, Ballenger grounded out to bring a run home and Smitchko singled down the line to score the other two.
The bats went quiet until the third, when the top of the Hawk lineup again got things going. Holt and Ekstrom singled an out apart to put two on and Smitchko legged out a single to score both of them and put UMES ahead, 5-4.
S.C. State responded with a three-run fifth and scored another three an inning later to build a 10-5 advantage. The Bulldogs prevented any further Hawk damage while adding the final two runs of the game in the seventh.
Smitchko recorded two hits and drove in four runs in the loss. Holt and Ekstrom also forged multi-hit days.
SCSU's Destiny Calloway (3-6) earned the victory, scattering the five Hawk runs across seven innings.
Ballenger (4-8) was tagged with the loss, allowing eight earned with two strikeouts over 5.2 frames of work. Smitchko worked the final four outs of the game, allowing a pair of runs with a strikeout.
The Hawks turn their focus to Coppin State, playing two in Baltimore on Friday, April 7 before capping the series with a noon Sunday start.
