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| HOME RUNS POWER MARYLAND PAST DUKES IN DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP |
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| Wednesday, 24 March 2010 14:55 |
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COLLEGE PARK, Md., March 24, 2010 – Four different Maryland hitters combined for five home runs to lift the Terrapins to a doubleheader sweep over James Madison at Robert E. Taylor Stadium on Wednesday. Maryland won game one 8-0 in six innings before completing the sweep with a 9-7 win in the nightcap. UM extended its winning streak to nine games to run its record to 19-9. The Dukes have dropped three straight and are now 12-16 this season. The Terrapins ran out to 8-0 lead in game two, scoring three runs in the third and five in the fifth. JMU staved off the early-termination rule with a four-run fifth. After Maryland added a run to its lead in the sixth, Madison closed to within two with three in the seventh. Right-hander Kendra Knight picked up the win in game two to improve to 7-5. She gave up seven runs on eight hits in a complete-game effort. The sophomore struck out 10 and walked four. Junior right-hander Olivia McPherson (Liberty, N.C./Southern Alamance) claimed the loss to drop to 3-2. She gave up four run on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. Junior Heather Widner (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready) allowed three runs in an inning of relief, while freshman Heather Dindinger (Riner, Va./Auburn) allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Third baseman Alex Schultz went 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI to lead the Maryland offense. Designated player Kerry Hickey was 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. Center fielder Sara Acosta added two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. The Dukes’ offense was led by senior first baseman Shannon Moxey’s (Church Road, Va./Mills Godwin) 2-for-4 day with an RBI. Sophomore shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) had a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while freshman right fielder Lori Botkin (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) added a double, a run and two RBI. Sophomore infielder Caitlen Manning (Prince George, Va./Prince George) went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. UM grabbed the lead in bottom of the third inning, scoring three runs on Hickey’s second home run of the season. Right fielder Niki Lau started the two-out rally with a hit by pitch. She moved to second on Schultz’s single through the left side. Hickey plated both runners, launching a 3-1 offering out to left center. The Terrapins scored five more two-out runs in the fourth. Knight started the rally with a one-out double to left field. After a fly-out, Acosta ripped a double off the fence in center to score Knight. Left fielder Vangie Galindo added the third extra-base hit of the inning, smashing a two-run home run to center. Dindinger entered in relief of Widner and immediately gave up a single to Lau before Schultz capped off the inning with a two-run shot to center. The Dukes got on the board in the fifth, scoring four two-out runs of their own. Freshman center fielder Jasmine Butler (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) started the inning with a walk. After a foul-out and a strikeout, Butler moved to second on a wild pitch. Freshman pinch hitter Kaitlyn Barbour (Nokesville, Va./Brentsville District) put runners on the corners with an infield single before Burnham broke up the shutout with a double to right center. Botkin ripped a double down left-field line to score two more. Moxey made it 8-4 with a single to left field, scoring Botkin. Maryland pushed the lead back up to five in the bottom of the sixth. Acosta started the frame with her second double of the game. McPherson, who had re-entered the game to start the inning, picked up JMU’s third hit batter of the game to put two runners on before Schultz drove in Acosta with a single up the middle. Manning’s three-run blast came in the top of the seventh to cut the UM lead to two. Burnham led off the inning with a hit by pitch, the fifth of the game between the two teams. She moved to second on junior designated player Katie Spitzer’s (Broadway, Va./Broadway) single up the middle. Manning battled Knight to a 3-2 count before ripping a pitch to left center. It was the third home run of season for the sophomore and her second in the last three games. In game one, Maryland scored at least one run in each inning between the second and sixth innings for its 18th win of the year. Right-hander Kerry Hickey gave up just one hit and one walk to improve to 11-3 in a complete-game effort. She struck out seven and didn’t allow a JMU runner to reach scoring position until the sixth. Dindinger received the loss after giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched. McPherson gave up three hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Niki Lau led the Terrapins going 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Designated player Kathy McLaughlin was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Schultz and shortstop Marisha Branson each had solo home runs. Freshman utility player Kaitlyn Barbour (Nokesville, Va./Brentsville District) was the only Madison player with a hit, leading off the sixth inning with a single to left field. Freshman outfielder Lori Botkin (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) walked in her only plate appearance. Maryland took advantage of two free passes to grab the early lead. Second baseman Nikki Maier started things off with a one-out walk. Acosta followed with a hit by pitch before both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by first baseman Courtney Kane. The Terps grabbed the 2-0 lead on back-to-back two-out singles by Lau and McLaughlin. Branson pushed the lead to 3-0 with a solo home run to right center in the third. In the fourth, Maryland loaded the bases with two walks sandwiched around a bunt single. Hickey helped her own cause smashing a two-out single up the middle for two more Terrapin runs. UM added two more runs in the fifth without hitting the ball past the pitcher’s circle. Maier was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. She moved to second on a perfect bunt by Acosta for a single. Both runners moved up a base on Kane’s second sacrifice bunt of the day before Maier scored on a swinging bunt by Lau. After McLaughlin became the fourth batter to be hit a pitch, she was caught stealing but dragged out a rundown long enough to allow Acosta to score. Schultz’s home run to lead off the sixth, pushed the scored to 8-0 and triggered the early-termination rule. |