March 31, 2005

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland softball team used a balanced attack and strong pitching to earn two 9-0 victories over Maryland-Eastern Shore Thursday afternoon at the Terrapin Softball Complex. Crystal Crews and Elyse Lucas both threw five-inning shutouts, and Lindsay Klein hit her second home run of the year to lead the Terrapins to their sixth-straight win.

In the first game, Maryland (16-10) scored two early runs in the first inning after Crystal Tweedy reached base on a throwing error by UMES third baseman LaToya Bailey. Lindsay Klein scored Tweedy with her team-leading sixth double of the year and gave the Terps a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Keri Lounge, hit an infield single to advance Klein to third base and later stole second base (the first stolen base of her career). With Nikki Smith batting, the Terrapins took a 2-0 advantage on a fielding error second baseman Maribeth Kulynycz as Klein came around to score on the play.

The Hawks (3-15) got their first hit of the game in the second inning, one of just three that starter Crystal Crews (2-2) gave up.

The Terps added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning, as Natalie Grossman, Nneka Cardoza and Jenny Belak earned back-to-back-to-back walks to load the bases. Grossman scored on a passed ball by Hawk catcher Heather Patnode, while Lounge's second hit of the day - a single to left field - drove in both Cardoza and Belak and put the Terps up 5-0.

Crews struck out the side in the top of the third to preserve the lead, and the Terrapins took advantage of two UMES errors and a double by Natalie Grossman in their half of the inning to go up 8-0.

The final Terrapin run came in the fourth inning, as Keri Lounge led off with her third hit of the game, a single through the left side. After Nikki Smith reached first base on a fielder's choice, Whitney Wides knocked her first hit of the season through the right side to put runners at first and second base. Lauren Pollock made it a 9-0 game with an RBI single to center field and Maryland held on to win by the eight-run rule.

Lounge finished game one 3-for-3 at the plate and is currently on a five-game hit streak. The sophomore also notched her fourth multiple-RBI game of the year.

Crews picked up the win, her second of the year, with the five-inning, three-hit performance. She struck out five UMES batters, upping her season total to 21.

Elyse Lucas (4-2) started in the circle for the Terrapins in game two, her seventh start of the season. Marlee Johnson led off for Maryand-Eastern Shore with an infield single in the first inning, but Lucas and the Maryland defense did not allow the baserunner to score.

The Terps again got off to a strong start in their half of the first inning, getting two baserunners on back-to-back bunt singles by Crystal Tweedy and Nneka Cardoza. The third batter of the inning, Lindsay Klein, hit her second home run of the year to left field to clear the bases and give Maryland a 3-0 lead. After three consecutive walks by Crystal Rizzuto, Lauren Pollock and Rachel Greyson, the bases were loaded for Natalie Grossman, who knocked a single to third base and scored Rizzuto.

Lucas struck out the side in both the second and third innings en route to a career-high 12 strikeouts. The sophomore notched her fourth win of the year and allowed only two hits. The Maryland offense, meanwhile, added three runs on doubles by Rizzuto and Pollock and an RBI single by Lounge to take a 8-0 lead.

Abbey Welch led off the fourth inning with a double to left field -- her first hit of the year. Freshman Medley McGuire, who had entered the game earlier at left field, stepped up next and knocked the first hit of her career through the left side to score Welch and give the Terps their final lead of 9-0.

Maryland continues its five-game homestand with an Atlantic Coast Conference series with NC State this weekend. The Wolfpack and Terrapins will play a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Maryland is looking to win its second ACC series of the year and improve on its 2-1 start in conference play.