SUMMARY  
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Holy Cross on Wednesday, March 4, falling 4-2 in Game 1 and 4-0 in Game 2.

Skylar Skinner led the Hawks in the opener with a double and a run scored. Dani Brown started in the circle and pitched a complete game, allowing four hits, three earned runs, two walks and striking out four.

In Game 2, Skinner paced UMES with three hits, while Kinsey Mentzer recorded the Hawks' other hit in the shutout. Chloe Weber threw four innings before Paris Richards entered in relief, as the duo combined to allow six hits, three earned runs, four walks and one strikeout.

THE SCORE 
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4–7, 0–0 MEAC) — 2
Holy Cross (1–5, 0–0 Patriot League) —  4

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4–8, 0–0 MEAC) — 0
Holy Cross (2–5, 0–0 Patriot League) —  4

HOW IT HAPPENED 
GAME ONE
Holy Cross struck first in the top of the opening inning, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to take an early lead. After a groundout to begin the game, a double to left-center sparked the offense, followed by a walk to put two runners on. An RBI single, combined with a UMES fielding error, allowed the first run to score for a 1-0 advantage. UMES limited further damage with a putout at home on a fielder's choice before ending the inning on a groundout.

UMES responded in the bottom of the third, plating its only runs of the game. Skylar Skinner and Amaya Nunez drew back-to-back walks to set up the opportunity. Jada Lacey then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing both runners to score unearned runs and giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead. Lacey was later thrown out at second, and the inning ended on a flyout.

Holy Cross regained control with three runs across the fifth and sixth innings to pull ahead. UMES threatened late but left two runners on base over the final four innings.

Dani Brown started in the circle and pitched a complete game, allowing four hits, three earned runs, two walks and striking out four.

GAME TWO
UMES was shut out in Game 2 of the doubleheader, falling 4-0 after Holy Cross scored in the first three innings and the Hawks were unable to capitalize on multiple late opportunities.

Holy Cross took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, using a double and a UMES error to plate an unearned run. A walk, stolen base and sacrifice fly in the second extended the advantage to 2-0. In the third, a hit-by-pitch and a walk set up a two-run double to right center, pushing the lead to 4-0.

UMES threatened in the bottom of the third, loading the bases behind a walk from Kinsey Mentzer, a single from Skylar Skinner and another walk, but a groundout ended the inning. The Hawks put runners on again in the fifth with singles from Mentzer and Skinner, and in the sixth with two walks, but were unable to break through. Skinner added another single in the seventh, finishing with three hits, but the rally was cut short.

Paris Richards entered in relief in the fifth and helped keep Holy Cross off the board the rest of the way, but UMES could not overcome the early deficit.

BY THE NUMBERS
Skylar Skinner extended her hitting streak to six games after going 4-for-6 across the doubleheader. Her double in Game 1 marked her second of the season.

Dani Brown's four strikeouts in Game 1 pushed her season total to 18, the most on the team in 2026.

Skinner also added two stolen bases, giving her a team-leading seven on the season. She is now 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.

NEXT UP 
UMES travels to Philadelphia, Pa., for a three-game series against Drexel from March 6-8.