March 20, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Cortney Madeo and Keisha Pickeral each had four hits on Saturday afternoon, and Shelley Burrell had four RBI to help lift Maryland to 7-1 and 5-1 victories over Long Island in the Terps' home opener at Campus Field.
In its first home game after 31 road contests, and with a new scoreboard in place, the Terps (19- 14) put the new equipment to work early by jumping to a 4-0 lead and sending 10 batters to the plate in the first inning of game one. Burrell blasted the first of her two, two-run doubles with two out to post the Terps to a 2-0 lead. She later scored to make it a three-run advantage after LIU catcher Nicolle Sacer dropped a throw from left following Pickeral's single. Pickeral took second on the throw, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored one batter later on an error by shortstop Maureen Jacquot.
Senior pitcher Kelly Shipman worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and Maryland threatened to put the game out of reach early, but LIU (6-6) kept the Terps in check and used a solo homer from Kim Schumm to get on the board in the fourth. Maryland answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, though. Burrell's second two-run double keyed the rally, and Beth Radford added an insurance single to score the game's final run. Shipmen (9-8) earned the win with five strikeouts while scattering three hits, two by Schumm. LIU's Shannon Payne (5-4) absorbed the loss. In game two, LIU served the opening blow when Tiffany Cooley walked, and scored on
e batter later on a two-out double by Stephanie White. Maryland knotted the score when Pickeral singled and scored in the second.
Not until the fourth inning did the Terps take control, when Blackbird pitching began to struggle. Pickeral opened the inning with a single up the middle off of LIU starter Leah Sanchez (1-1), and Sanchez loaded the bases with a pair of walks and just one out.
The Blackbirds looked to be on the verge of working out of their own jam when Terps' leadoff batter Amy Sandler lined to right for a second out, but Sanchez mishandled a one-hop come-backer off the bat of Burrell to allow one run. A second run crossed when Sanchez hit Maryland leftfielder Jen Potzman.
Pickeral provided the big blast in the decisive fifth inning. Shipman, playing shortstop in game two, chased Sanchez with a leadoff double to left and Pickeral ripped a two-run blast over the fence in left-center to welcome Payne back to the mound in her second pitching appearance of the day.
On the day, Pickeral finished 4 for 6 with two runs and three RBI. Madea contributed three hits in game two while finishing 4 for 7. Maryland outhit Long Island 16 to eight, on the afternoon.
Maryland freshman Amanda Bettker went the distance for the Terps in game two, notching five strikeouts while allowing five hits and walking two. Getting past the first inning, Bettker commanded the game and allowed LIU just one scoring opportunity the rest of the way. The Blackbirds send runners to second and third with two outs in the fifth before Bettker induced a fly to center to end the rally.
Maryland hosts Temple in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 21.
Game 1 Linescore R H E
Long Island 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 3 4
Maryland 4 0 0 3 0 0 x - 7 9 1
Payne, Marsheck (6) and Sacer, Buscemi (5). Shipman, Carpenter (7) and Putnam.
Game 2 Linescore R H E
Long Island 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Maryland 0 1 0 2 2 0 x - 5 7 1
Sanchez, Payne (5), Marsheck (6) and McAlister, Buscemi (5). Bettker and Radford.
Records: Maryland 19-14, Long Island 6-5.
