March 5, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland softball squad (9-6, 0-0 ACC) posted a 2-0 record on Sunday and a 3-1 mark for the weekend to capture a share of the Terrapin Invitational championship. The Terps gritted out a victory over Connecticut, 6-3, before exploding offensively for an 8-3 triumph over LaSalle in a game that featured a Jennifer Potzman (Trexlertown, Pa.) grand slam --- the first grand slam in Potzman's collegiate career. Connecticut mustered a 1-1 record on Sunday and a 3-1 record for the tournament, earning the Huskies the co-championship as well.

Junior right-handed pitcher Jen Shellhammer (Slatington, Pa.) went the distance against UConn for her fourth victory of the season. Maryland (the visiting team due to a pre-game coin toss) took an early lead in the top of the first on a Cortney Madea (Northampton, Pa.) 2-RBI double, but the Terps found themselves trailing 3-2 until the fifth. Base hits by junior Michelle Burrell (Owego, N.Y.), junior Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) and freshman Samantha Sweeney (Marlton, N.J.) set up what would be a four-run inning. Burrell scored on an error and Browne crossed on a fielder's choice. After an intentional walk to Potzman, Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.) smacked a two-out double to left-center, scoring both Potzman and Sweeney. Madea finished the game going 1-for-3 with 3 RBI, and Radford ended up 1-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Southpaw Danielle Carpenter (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) notched her first victory of the season vs. LaSalle, scattering six Explorer hits in the complete-game win. The Terps put on an offensive display in their second game Sunday, shelling LaSalle with a season-high 13 hits. The Terps once again got on the scoreboard first courtesy of a Burrell solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. Headed into the fourth, the Terps were trailing 2-1 before a seven-run onslaught. The Terps sent 11 batters to the plate in a stanza that saw eight base hits, including Potzman's rocket over the centerfield wall with the bases loaded. Burrell finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, and Sweeney and Jillian Callaway (Brandywine, Md.) both went 2-for-3.

In other games Sunday at the Terrapin Invitational, Connecticut edged Princeton, 1-0, and a Devon Keefe grand slam in Princeton's final at-bat lifted the Tigers over LaSalle, 10-6.

The Terrapins travel to Tampa, Fla., on March 9-12 to participate in the Speedline Invitational Tournament hosted by South Florida. Maryland will face South Carolina, Hofstra and Purdue before rematching No. 17 Illinois-Chicago, who edged the Terps 3-2 on Feb. 20, and Connecticut, with whom the Terps split two games this past weekend. Championship bracket play begins Saturday and continues all day Sunday.

Game 1 Linescore
Princeton	000 000	0 - 0 2	3
Connecticut	001 000	x - 1 2	1
Princeton: Sarah Peterman and Vicki Siesta.
Connecticut: Barbara Cook and Jamine Blesoff.
Winning Pitcher - Cook (3-1).  Losing Pitcher - Peterman (1-1).
Doubles: None. Triples: None.  Home Runs: None.


Game 2 Linescore
Maryland        200 040	- 6 5 4
Connecticut	300 000	- 3 8 2
Maryland: Jen Shellhammer and Sarah Putnam.
Connecticut: Megan Biddle, Caryn Haskins (5) and Carrie Merritt.
Winning Pitcher - Shellhammer (4-3).  Losing Pitcher - Biddle (1-3).
Doubles: Cortney Madea (M), Beth Radford (M),
         Annmarie Browne (M), Mandy Simjian (C).
Triples: None.  Home Runs: None.


Game 3 Linescore
LaSalle	        600 00 - 6 10 4
Princeton	150 04 - 10 6 1
LaSalle: Talia Bilella, Missy Rorke (2) and Jillian Stombock.
Princeton: Sarah Jane White, Brianne Galiciano (1), Sarah Peterman (5)
           and Devon Keefe.
Winning Pitcher - Peterman (2-1).  Losing Pitcher - Rorke (1-4).
Doubles: Natalie Striano (L), Michelle Maher (L), Lisa Ferraina (L),
         Anna Soper (P).
Triples: None.
Home Runs: Winter Eastmond (L), Keefe (P) (GRAND SLAM),
           Mackenzie Forsythe (P).


Game 4 Linescore
LaSalle	        010 110	0 - 3  6 2
Maryland	100 700	x - 8 13 2
LaSalle: Missy Rorke and Jillian Stomobock.
Maryland: Danielle Carpenter and Beth Radford.
Winning Pitcher - Carpenter (1-2).  Losing Pitcher - Rorke (1-5).
Doubles: Jen Hoerner (L), Bernadette Murphy (L), Cortney Madea (M).
Triples: None.
Home Runs: Winter Eastmond (L) 2,
          Michelle Burrell (M), Potzman (M) (GRAND SLAM).

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