March 23, 2001

Box Score

MARIETTA, Ga. - Round two of Maryland vs. Troy State was slightly different from round one. When the teams first met one week ago to open the Florida State Invitational, the Terrapins needed to overcome a four-run deficit in the late innings to edge the Lady Trojans, 5-4. On Friday to kick off the Buzz Classic, juniors Kiesha Pickeral (Hughesville, Md.) and Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.) provided fireworks while senior Jenn Shellhammer (Slatington, Pa.) kept Troy State's bats in check as Maryland (18-12) mauled its first pool play opponent, 8-1.

Maryland faces Cleveland State (4-8) in Game 2 of pool play at 6 p.m.

The Terrapin offense tied a 2001 single-game high, rattling off 11base hits against Lady Trojan ace Kim Unkenholz (10-4, 0.64 ERA). Pickeral tied her career-best with three hits in the ballgame, highlighted by her fifth and sixth home runs of the year, to finish with three RBI and two runs scored. Radford also dropped a bomb on the Lady Trojans - a two run shot that came two batters after Pickeral's first homer - to dash any Troy State (22-11) hopes of reversing history.

Freshman Monica Cyphert (Warren, Ohio), who also tied her career mark with a 3-for-4 effort, first sparked the Terps with a leadoff single in the fifth. The rookie crossed the first run of the game after newcomer Jen Peel (St. Leonard, Md.) sacrificed her to second and Annmarie Browne (Lansdale, Pa.) reached on a Lady Trojan throwing error.

Maryland's lead grew to 4-0 with a three-run sixth. After Pickeral's solo shot began the inning, freshman Casey Leiter (Lake Stevens, Wash.) ripped a single up the middle and scored on Radford's blast.

The Lady Trojans used two singles and a Terp error to score in their half of the sixth, but the Terps still weren't finished. Senior Jennifer Potzman (Trexlertown, Pa.) roped a single to lead off the seventh, and red hot first baseman Pickeral then stepped in and rocketed Unkenholz's offering over the fence in dead centerfield. Later in the inning, after a Jillian Callaway (Brandywine, Md.) walk and a Cyphert double to right center that nearly cleared the fence, left fielder Stefanie Robinson (Avenel, N.J.) slapped a two-RBI single to right to make the final 8-1.

Shellhammer was brilliant, scattering three hits in the first five innings and not walking a batter to even her season record at 4-4. Junior hurler Amanda Bettker (St. Petersburg, Fla.) finished out the final two stanzas with three strikeouts.

Troy State holds a piece of Terrapin softball history at the Buzz Classic. In Maryland's inaugural season in 1995, the Lady Trojans drubbed the Terps 16-1 at the annual event in Marietta. With the Terps' pair of avenging victories this season, Maryland takes an all-time series lead at 2-1.

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