March 20, 2005

Game 1 Box Score | Championship Game Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland softball team won the final game of the Maryland Invitational at the Terrapin Softball Complex Sunday, defeating Columbia 5-1 for the tournament crown. Terp pitcher Elyse Lucas held the Lions to one run on one hit, while Maryland tallied 11 hits including two each from Crystal Tweedy, Nikki Smith, Keri Lounge and Jenny Belak.

Earlier in the day, the Terps dropped their pool play game to the Lions, 3-2, while Binghamton defeated Mount St. Mary's 6-0 in the consolation game.

Freshman Jenny Belak led off the Terrapins' first inning with an infield single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Nneka Cardoza. The next batter, Lindsay Klein, doubled to the gap in right-center field to drive in Belak and put the Terps up 1-0. Maryland's clean-up batter, Keri Lounge, was up next and hit her team-high fifth double of the year to score Klein and put the Terps up 2-0. The Terp hit streak continued when Nikki Smith singled to center field and Lauren Pollock singled up the middle, scoring two more Terrapin runs. Smith finished the Maryland Invitational with a team-high .538 batting average.

In the bottom of the first inning, Columbia shortstop Hilary Parsons doubled and drove in the Lions' lone run of the afternoon.

The Terrapins stayed in control for the remainder of the game, as Lucas struck out five batters and allowed just one hit for her second victory of the year. Her record is now 2-2, while Columbia pitcher Megan Ivey went to 5-5 on the year.

Belak got her second hit of the afternoon in the sixth inning, an RBI single that gave the Terps their final lead of 5-1. Belak finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.

Also having multiple-hit outings for Maryland were Lounge, Smith and Tweedy.

In the earlier Terps-Lions matchup, Maryland got two runs; one on a Crystal Rizzuto home run (her first as a Terrapin) and one on a RBI sacrifice bunt by Keri Lounge.

The Terps couldn't hang on, however, and fell by a final score of 3-2. Abbey Welch was charged with the loss for Maryland and went to 5-3 on the season.

The Terps are back in action on Thursday, March 24, when they travel to Radford for a 2 p.m. doubleheader. Following Thursday's matchup, Maryland opens ACC play at Virginia Tech with a Saturday doubleheader and Sunday game.