SALISBURY, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team dropped its first game against Howard University on Saturday, April 22 by a 9-7 final before rain halted the day's second contest after three innings.
The teams will finish game two on Sunday, April 23 at 11 a.m. with Howard leading 4-3. Sunday's originally scheduled game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the first game concludes.
It was the visitors who jumped in front in game one, leading 4-0 heading to the bottom of the third. With two outs in the bottom half, Jaycee Holt picked up a single and Nola Mountain legged out a bunt base hit to start the Hawk rally.
Kelsie Ekstrom drew a free pass to load the bases and Ameenah Ballenger brought Holt and Mountain home with a single to right center, cutting the deficit to two.
Howard reclaimed the two runs in the fourth, taking a 6-2 lead they would hold until the Hawk bats surged again in the bottom of the fifth.
Holt led off the frame with a base hit and stole second. Ekstrom dropped in a single to left field to score Holt one out later.
Ah-Nayia Oglesby pinch ran for Ekstrom and got to third after a Ballenger double that snuck under the outfield fence. Ryan Merriwether legged out three bases on a ball hit down the right field line, scoring both, and McKenzie Abiley laid a sacrifice bunt to bring Merriwether in and tie the contest, 6-6.
Howard got the final surge they needed in the top of the seventh, adding three more runs. The Hawks got three on and the go-ahead run to the plate but brought in just one before a game-ending double play.
UMES plated seven runs on 12 hits with two errors, while Howard plated nine on 12 hits with one miscue.
Every Hawk that registered an at-bat hit safely in game one. Holt, Ekstrom and Ballenger each had multi-hit days, while Ballenger, Merriwether and Abiley each drove in a pair of runs.
Howard's Amelia Weber (5-11) received the win, working two innings and allowing one run as the final reliever in the game for the Bison.
Ballenger (7-12) was tagged with the loss, working 6.2 innings and allowing seven earned runs with a pair of punchouts.
The program will honor Kaylyn Sterling and Ah-Nayia Oglesby for Senior Day between the conclusion of the resumed game and the start of the originally scheduled contest.
