March 26, 2005

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Maryland softball team posted two impressive victories over ACC newcomer Virginia Tech Saturday, defeating the Hokies 10-0 and 6-3 in a doubleheader at Tech Softball Park. Lindsay Klein finished the day with five RBI to lead the Terrapins offensively, while Keri Lounge hit her first home run of the year.

After being held hitless the day before by Hokie pitcher Angela Tincher, the Terrapins (12-10, 2-1 ACC) found their offensive rhythm in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Crystal Tweedy got Maryland started in the top of the third inning with a bunt single, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by leadoff hitter Jenny Belak. Hokie third baseman Kathleen Jones couldn't make the play on Belak's bunt, as her throwing error advanced Tweedy safely to second base and put Belak on first. The next batter, Nneka Cardoza, earned her team-high 11th walk of the year to load the bases.

With the bags packed, first baseman Lindsay Klein broke the scoreless tie, as the sophomore singled through the left side to score Tweedy. The next batter, second baseman Keri Lounge, extended the Terrapins' lead to 2-0 with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field that scored Belak.

Maryland continued its solid offense in the fourth inning, getting a leadoff single from Crystal Rizzuto. After a Natalie Grossman walk, Crystal Tweedy again laid down a bunt that was not handled cleanly by Virginia Tech and Rizzuto crossed home plate to put the Terps up 3-0. Jenny Belak made it a four-run game with a sacrifice fly that scored Natalie Grossman from third base.

Virginia Tech (28-8, 1-2 ACC) got its best scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. Terp starter Jessica Aditays worked her way out of the inning, however, to preserve the shutout.

The Terrapins' had another offensive explosion in the top of the fifth inning, scoring six runs on four hits and forcing Hokie pitcher Katie Maynard out of the game. After RBIs from Rizzuto, Tweedy and Belak, Lindsay Klein put an exclamation point on the inning with a two-out double down the left-field line that scored three runs and gave the Terps their final lead of 10-0.

Klein finished with four RBI, the best single-game total by a Terrapin so far this year. Notching multiple hit games in addition to Klein were Smith, Rizzuto and Tweedy.

Aditays picked up the win for Maryland, improving her record to 3-2, while Maynard fell to 10-4. Aditays struck out five Hokie batters and gave up just three hits for the complete game shutout.

Maryland took an early 2-0 lead in the second game of the doubleheader after an impressive first inning by the heart of the Terrapin batting order. Lindsay Klein got things started with a two-out triple to the gap in left-center field, which was followed by Keri Lounge's RBI single to right field. The next batter, Terp catcher Nikki Smith, scored Lounge with an RBI double to left field that gave the Terps a two-run lead.

Virginia Tech scored its first run of the day on an Alisia Narodowski RBI single to center field in the bottom of the third inning, but stranded two runners on base and settled for making it a 2-1 game.

With one out in the fourth inning, Hokie pitcher Angela Tincher hit consecutive batters with pitches, putting runners at first and second base for the Terrapins. Shortstop Nneka Cardoza reached first base on a fielder's choice and advanced pinch runner Whitney Reigel to third base. The Terps' leadoff batter, Jenny Belak, stepped up to the plate and singled to score Reigel and extend the Terps' lead to 3-1.

Virginia Tech threatened in its half of the fourth inning, as Kelly Brown drove in a run with a double to right-center field to pull the Hokies within one run. Maryland head coach Gina LaMandre opted for a pitching change, Jessica Aditays for starter Crystal Crews, and Aditays got the third out of the inning to keep Maryland ahead by a score of 3-2.

The Terps added three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead. Lindsay Klein notched her fifth RBI of the series with a single through the left side that scored Nneka Cardoza, who had reached base on a single to right field. Keri Lounge stepped up next and blasted her first home run of the season (seventh of her career) over the center field fence to score two more runs.

Virginia Tech scored a run in its half of the seventh inning, but Aditays (4-2) closed strong and picked up her fourth win of the year. Maryland handed Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (14-3) her third loss of the year and exacted revenge a day after being no-hit by the freshman.

Klein finished the series with Tech with a .455 batting average and team-high five RBI.

Maryland returns to the diamond on Wed., March 30 when it travels to Villanova for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader. Following Wednesday's matchup, the Terps return to the Terrapin Softball Complex to host Maryland-Eastern Shore in a 2 p.m. Thursday doubleheader and then NC State in an Atlantic Coast Conference weekend series.