March 4, 2005

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. - The Maryland softball team opened play at the University of Georgia's Red and Black Challenge with a win, defeating UNC Greensboro 5-3 Friday afternoon in Athens, Ga. The Terps exploded offensively, tallying a season-high 13 hits, and are now 2-4 on the young season.

Second baseman Keri Lounge got the Terps started in the top of the second inning, leading off with a single to center field. Later in the inning, with Lounge at second base and two outs, right fielder Lauren Pollock knocked her first hit of the year to right-center field, an RBI single that drove in Lounge and gave the Terrapins a 1-0 lead.

UNC Greensboro (5-14) threatened in the bottom of the second inning, as Jennifer Bonilla hit a one-out single to left field. After Alixis Villarin walked, Terp pitcher Jessica Aditays struck out Kara Clouser and got Vanessa Oakes to fly out to center field to end the inning and preserve the one-run Maryland lead.

The Terps added to their lead in the top of the third inning, as Lounge hit her team-leading third double of the season to center field and drove in Nneka Cardoza, who had singled earlier in the inning.

UNC Greensboro came back to tie the score in the bottom of the fourth inning, after Villarin drove in two runs with a one-out single to left field. Aditays finished the inning strong for the Terrapins, striking out the next two batters to end the inning.

Lindsay Klein led off the Terrapin fifth inning with her first double of the year to left center, extending her hit streak to six games. The next two batters, Keri Lounge and Nikki Smith, were walked by Spartan pitcher Vanessa Oakes to load the bases, but the Terps could not capitalize on the scoring opportunity and the 2-2 tie remained.

The Spartans garnered the lead in the bottom of the fifth, when Lynsi Pierce blasted a home run to left field to give UNC Greensboro a 3-2 lead.

That 3-2 lead would not last long, however, as the Terrapins battled back in the top of the sixth. Lauren Pollock led off with her second hit of the game, a single to center field and Rachel Greyson entered to pinch run. The next batter, Natalie Grossman was hit by a pitch and the runners advanced after a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Crystal Tweedy. With Greyson on third base and Grossman on second, Terp shortstop Nneka Cardoza stepped up to the plate and knocked a single through the left side to score both runners and give the Terps a 4-3 lead. For Cardoza, it was her first and second RBIs of the young season and her second hit of the day.

Sophomore Abbey Welch, who entered the game for Maryland in the bottom of the fifth, pitched well down the stretch and the Terps added another run in the seventh inning for the 5-3 victory.

Welch improves to 2-1 on the year, while Spartan hurler Vanessa Oakes drops to 4-4 in 2005. The Terrapins out-hit the Spartans, 13-5.

Cardoza ended the day 2-for-4 with two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Lounge finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Crystal Rizzuto, Pollock and Grossman all also had multi-hit games. Rizzuto's RBI in the seventh inning was her first of the year.

Maryland is back in action at the Red and Black Challenge at 1 p.m., when they face the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in pool play at the University of Georgia's Softball Complex. Livestats are available at www.umterps.com.