A mix of clutch at-bats and steady pitching lifted UMES softball to a doubleheader sweep over Lincoln (Pa.) on Wednesday afternoon at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex. 
The Hawks rallied from an early deficit to take game one, 6–4, before staying in control from start to finish in a 4–1 win in the final game of the afternoon.

The Score
Lincoln (Pa.) (13-22, CIAA 7-2) - 4
Maryland Eastern Shore (4-31, MEAC 2-12) - 6

Game Two
Lincoln (Pa.) (13-23, CIAA 7-2) - 1
Maryland Eastern Shore (5-31, MEAC 2-12) - 4

How it Happened 
Game one
A four-run fifth inning flipped the script for UMES softball, as the Hawks erased an early deficit and powered past Lincoln (Pa.) for a 6-4 victory in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.

UMES found itself down 2-0 after a pair of unearned runs crossed in the top of the first, but the Hawks responded immediately. Junior Jaycee Holt led off the bottom half with a single up the middle, later scoring on an RBI double to left by junior Paige Perkins to trim the deficit in half.

The middle innings belonged to the defenses, as both sides went scoreless through the fourth. But the momentum shifted in the fifth. Junior Emily Gunther drew a leadoff walk, and freshman Clarke Calvin followed with a double to put two in scoring position. Freshman Kassidy Oneail brought in the tying run with a sacrifice fly, and junior DeNae Ojeda later reached on a fielder's choice before Holt's perfectly placed bunt single—and a defensive miscue—allowed the go-ahead run to cross. UMES kept the pressure on, plating two more unearned runs to take a 4-2 lead.

The Hawks added breathing room in the sixth as Gunther singled and Calvin followed with her second hit of the day. Ojeda came through once again, delivering a two-run single through the left side to push the lead to 6-2.
Lincoln managed to score twice in the seventh to cut into the lead, but UMES held firm to close out the win and take the opener.

Oneail went the distance in the circle, scattering nine hits and striking out seven over seven innings to earn her fourth win of the season. Ojeda drove in a game-high two runs, Holt went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, and Calvin added two hits and one run scored of her own. The Hawks forced three errors and took advantage of their opportunities to secure the victory.

Game two
UMES struck in the middle innings and used strong pitching to stay in front, earning a 4–1 win over Lincoln (Pa.) on Tuesday afternoon.

After two quiet frames, the Hawks broke through in the third. Holt sparked the offense with a bunt single and stole second, setting the table for freshman Lola Meyer's RBI double that brought her home for a 1–0 lead. As Meyer crossed the plate, freshman Araceli Manzo was thrown out trying to advance—costly on the bases, but not before the run scored.

UMES tacked on two more runs in the fourth—senior McKenzie Abiley doubled in a run, and later stole home as part of a heads-up sequence.

Lincoln got one back in the sixth off a pair of hits, but the Hawks' defense and pitching clamped down. Gunther closed the game in the circle with a scoreless seventh, stranding a runner on third to seal the win.

The Hawks held Lincoln to just four hits, with no runs allowed until the sixth inning. 

By the Numbers 

• Emily Gunther earned her second save of the season and extended her hitting streak to three games, including her first multi-hit game of the year.
• Paris Richards secured her second win of the season, matching her season-high with four strikeouts.
• Kassidy Oneail tossed her fourth complete game of the season in the first game of today's doubleheader, setting a season-high with seven strikeouts.
• Jaycee Holt finished the day with three hits and three stolen bases, marking her sixth game with multiple steals and her eighth multi-hit performance.
• Lola Meyer recorded her second double of the season and her first multi-hit game.

Quotes from Head Coach Aaron Robinson 
Assessment on today's performance
"It was a bounce-back from yesterday. They allowed themselves to be present, clear their heads, and let go of the past game. They understood that these games were scheduled as a kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — to really leave it all out there. And no matter the result, if it was good, we take it. If it wasn't, we regroup.
Today, we had an opponent that helped us get some confidence back. We had people get their bats going, made some great defensive plays, and everyone played loose — which is exactly what we need moving forward."

Pitching a strong suit in today's doubleheader
"Cassidy got the complete game. We had people warm and ready to go, just like we did for Paris. With Cassidy, she's been the arm for us, and she's really wanted to show she can control the whole game.
Paris is stepping into that role now. She's been more of a reliever or someone we use for a couple innings, and then make a switch. But I know this team really well. When that first hit got through, I knew what was coming, knew what that hitter could do, and made the change right away. No pressure, no momentum shift — just shut it down.
And Emily — she's been doing great these past two or three series. Yesterday she stopped a potential no-hitter for Maryland, and today she closed strong."

Emily Gunther emerging for the Hawks
"She's believing in herself. She was in her head a lot about her career before now — thinking about who she was instead of who she is. I told her, "Figure yourself out here first." Focus on what you're doing now, with this team, in the roles we're asking you to play. Different mindsets, different matchups. And she's doing that — she's growing into this version of herself."

Takeaways that prepare the Hawks for weekend MEAC series 
"We saw that once we play loose, we can really get after it and play our game. When each player focuses on being "the one" in their role, it adds up to us being a solid, complete program. The goal is always to play a full seven innings, and we're continuing to work toward that. We did that with Central, did it today, and we plan to do the same against South Carolina State, Hampton, and Delaware State to close out MEAC play.
We're working on the small goals too. I challenged them between games today — have a personal goal, just for yourself, and go achieve it. And they did that. They stayed composed, enjoyed the environment, and didn't look weighed down. They weren't in their heads — they just got it done."

Next Up
UMES returns to MEAC play this weekend, hosting South Carolina State for a three-game series and Senior Day beginning Friday, April 18 at 1 p.m.

Stay updated with UMES softball at UMESHawkSports.com and follow along on Twitter (@UMEShawksSB) and Instagram (@umeshawkssb).