March 24, 2000

MARIETTA, Ga. - The Maryland softball squad (15-14, 2-0 ACC) split two games on the opening day of Georgia Tech's Buzz Classic. Solid pitching by sophomore Amanda Bettker (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and a 2-for-4, 3-RBI performance by senior Cortney Madea (Northampton, Pa.) spelled a 6-3 victory for the Terps over Harvard in Game 1. In Game 2, the Terrapins dropped a 14-5 decision to Southwest Missouri State in a slugfest that featured 28 total hits.

Sophomore right-handed hurler Bettker (8-6) went the distance for the Terrapins, striking out three while allowing six hits and one earned run. The Terps took an early lead in the top of the first inning when freshman Stefanie Robinson (Avenel, N.J.) tripled and scored on a RBI-single by junior Jennifer Potzman (Trexlertown, Pa.). Potzman advanced on a single by sophomore Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.) and scored on a Kiesha Pickeral (Hughesville, Pa.) RBI-double. The Terps increased their lead to 5-0 in the second when a single by freshman Jillian Callaway (Brandywine, Md.) and consecutive walks to Robinson and Potzman loaded the bases for Madea. The Terps' designated player responded with a double that scored Callaway and Robinson, and Radford drove in Potzman with a base knock immediately after. The Crimson picked up a pair of runs in the third courtesy of a 2-RBI double by Deborah Abeles to cut the Terps' lead to 5-2, but Madea tacked on an insurance run for Maryland with a solo homer to lead off the seventh. Harvard scored a run in the seventh as well, but the Terrapins prevailed by a 6-3 count.

In an offense-filled Game 2, SW Missouri State out-slugged the Terps, 14-5. The Bears blew the game open in the second inning, sending 13 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on six base hits. The Terps mounted a counter-offensive in their half of the inning, putting four runs across on RBI-singles by Callaway, junior Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) and senior Sarah Putnam (Chesapeake, Va.). Maryland got on the scoreboard one more time in the fifth, scoring on back-to-back doubles by Potzman and Madea.

Maryland continues pool play in the Buzz Classic tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. vs. Mercer, followed by a 12:30 p.m. match-up with Coastal Carolina. Championship bracket play begins at 8 p.m. and lasts all day Sunday.

TERP NOTES: Senior Cortney Madea went 3-for-7 (.429) in today's two games with a home run, four RBI, two doubles and one run scored ... sophomore Beth Radford was 4-for-6 (.667) on the day with one double, RBI and run scored ... fellow soph Kiesha Pickeral was 2-for-7 with a run, a double and a RBI ... Pickeral has now hit safely in each of the last nine games ... in the last four games, Maryland has amassed 48 hits (12.0 per game) including 12 and 13 vs. Georgia Tech (3/21), 12 vs. Harvard and 11 vs. SW Missouri St.

Game 1 Linescore
Maryland 	230 000	1 - 6 12  1
Harvard	        002 000	1 - 3  6  0
Maryland: Amanda Bettker and Beth Radford.  Harvard: Chelsea Thoke.
Winning Pitcher - Bettker (8-6).  Losing Pitcher - Thoke (0-4).
Doubles: Sarah Koppel (H), Kiesha Pickeral (M), Cortney Madea (M).
Triples: Stefanie Robinson (M).  Home Runs: Madea (M).


Game 2 Linescore
SW Missouri State	271 022	- 14  17  0
Maryland	        040 010	-  5  11  4
SW Mo. St.: Jessica Davis and Tawnya Grout.
Maryland: Jennifer Shellhammer and Sarah Putnam.
Winning Pitcher - Davis.  Losing Pitcher - Shellhammer (6-5).
Doubles: Beth Radford (M), Jennifer Potzman (M), Cortney Madea (M),
Stacie Wattie 2 (S), Jami Canada (S), and Jessica Gorham.
Triples: None.  Home Runs: None.

Contact: Mark Fratto
301-314-7064 (phone)
301-314-9094 (fax)
301-314-TERP (Fan Phone)
fratto@wam.umd.edu