April 29, 2005
MARYLAND (22-17, 4-8 ACC) hosts NO. 17/18 GEORGIA TECH (44-10, 10-3 ACC)
Friday, April 29, 2005 | 5 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Saturday, April 30, 2005 | 1 p.m.
Terrapin Softball Complex | College Park, Md.
Game Notes
**Fans should note that Saturday, April 30, is Maryland Day. Thousands of visitors will be taking advantage of the opportunity to visit campus. Parking is free on campus and the best lots to park in for the softball game are 4B (on the north side of Comcast Center) or other lots surrounding Comcast Center.**
The University of Maryland softball team will finish regular-season conference play this weekend when it hosts No. 17/18 Georgia Tech Friday and Saturday at the Terrapin Softball Complex. Friday's doubleheader will begin at 5 p.m., while Saturday's single game is part of Maryland Day 2005 and will begin at 1 p.m. Maryland is coming off two mid-week victories against Towson, while Georgia Tech has won 10 of its last 11 games and sits atop the ACC standings.
NOTING THE TERRAPINS
Maryland (22-17, 4-8 ACC) swept Towson Wednesday night, 7-3 and 1-0, for a pair of non-conference victories. Jenny Belak went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored and Maryland used a four-run fifth inning to put the Tigers away in game one, while Natalie Grossman hit the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning for the second-game victory.
Pitchers Jessica Aditays (7-3) and Abbey Welch had stellar games in the circle for Maryland. In game one, Aditays entered the game and pitched the final three and two-thirds innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine for the win. Welch, meanwhile, pitched all 11 innings of game two and allowed three hits while matching a career-high with eight strikeouts. The complete-game shutout improved Welch's record to 7-4 on the year in her first start since March 25.
With four conference victories, Maryland has improved on or matched its ACC win totals from each of the last five years. The best conference mark in school history came in 1999, when Maryland compiled a 10-2 ACC record en route to a school-record 51 victories and appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Lindsay Klein continues to lead the Terps offensively, hitting at a .320 clip. The sophomore appears in the ACC's top 10 lists for hits (41), doubles (7), runs batted in (23) and total bases (62). Klein's four home runs this season is tied for the team lead.
Keri Lounge has also been a standout on offense, as she is the only other Terrapin with multiple home runs (4) and leads the team with 27 RBI.
As a duo, Klein and Lounge have accounted for 50 of the team's 117 RBIs (43 percent) and eight of Maryland's 13 home runs. Batting in the heart of the Terrapin lineup, the pair has been clutch during scoring opportunities, as Klein is hitting .322 and Lounge is batting .357 with runners on base.
Lauren Pollock continues to make the most out of her plate appearances, as she is third on the team with 14 runs batted in despite having the second-fewest number of at-bats (80) of the Terrapin starters. Pollock also ranks first among Terrapin starters with a .360 batting average with runners in scoring position and is 1-for-1 on the year in pinch-hitting situations.
The other Terp in double digits for RBI is outfielder Jenny Belak, who has totaled 11 on the year. Belak has also been the Terps' most effective base stealer, as the freshman is 7-9 for stolen bases in 2005.
The depth of the Terrapin pitching staff continues to show as all four hurlers have at least four victories. Elyse Lucas has a team-best ERA of 1.43, while Jessica Aditays leads the team with 77 strikeouts. Abbey Welch, meanwhile, has earned seven victories - including wins over ranked teams Missouri and Georgia.
Maryland will play the remainder of its regular season games at the Terrapin Softball Complex, where it has a 9-4 record in 2005. The ACC Softball Championship will also be held in College Park from May 12-15.
TLC AT THE TSC
With the ACC Tournament on the horizon, the Terps have reason to like their chances with the event being held at the Terrapin Softball Complex. In games played at home this season, five Maryland starters (Lounge, Klein, Smith, Cardoza and Pollock) are all hitting above .300. Klein has hit three of her four home runs within the friendly confines of the complex, and the Terps, as a team, are hitting .285 (up from their season average of .231) at home.
RECAPPING THE TOWSON SWEEP
Maryland won both games of a doubleheader against Towson at the Terrapin Softball Complex Wednesday night, 7-3 and 1-0. Jenny Belak led Maryland in game one with three hits and two runs scored, while Natalie Grossman hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning of the second game to give the Terrapins the win.
Belak and Crystal Tweedy led off the first inning of game one with back-to-back singles and Tweedy scored the first Terp run after Belak stole second. A Lindsay Klein single gave Maryland another baserunner, and Belak crossed the plate after a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Nikki Smith.
With the score tied 3-3 later in the game, Smith drove a double to left-center field, scoring Belak who had singled earlier in the inning and notching her second RBI of the game. Crystal Rizzuto extended the Terrapin lead with an RBI single and Abbey Welch followed with a single up the middle that scored two more runs and gave the sophomore the first RBIs of her career. The four-run fifth inning by Maryland was the difference in the game, as the Terps won by a final score of 7-3.
Belak finished game one 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Klein had her ninth multiple hit game of the year with two singles, and Welch and Smith each tied career-highs with two RBI.
Jessica Aditays (7-3) got the win for Maryland, as she relieved Crystal Crews in the top of the fourth inning. Aditays allowed just one Towson hit and struck out nine for the victory. Jessica Wides was charged with the loss for Towson and went to 10-7 on the year.
In the second game, Maryland pitcher Abbey Welch allowed just three hits and matched a career-high eight strikeouts for the complete-game shutout victory. Her record improved to 7-4, while Towson pitcher Jessica Fisher dropped to 14-6 with the loss.
Looking to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 11th inning, Lauren Pollock started the Terp rally by reaching first base on a fielding error by Fisher. After Crystal Rizzuto singled to left field, the runners advanced to second and third base on a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Reigel. Pollock crossed home plate on a Natalie Grossman single and gave Maryland the 1-0 win.
Reigel got the first start of her career at second base, while Nikki Smith and Lindsay Klein led Maryland offensively with two hits each.
HOME RUN CLUB
Seven different Terrapins have hit home runs in 2005, eclipsing last year's total of different players. Seniors Nneka Cardoza, Lauren Pollock and Crystal Rizzuto, juniors Natalie Grossman and Nikki Smith and sophomores Lindsay Klein and Keri Lounge have all homered so far this season. Klein and Lounge are tied for the team lead with four home runs apiece.
TERPS IN THE ACC RANKINGS
Several Terrapins are at or near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference top 10 lists. Lindsay Klein appears in the top 10 for hits, RBIs, total bases and doubles.
Keri Lounge is second in the league for runs batted in and Nneka Cardoza is listed for walks per game.
Pitcher Elyse Lucas has the sixth-best ERA in the ACC and averages nearly seven strikeouts per game - good for seventh place in the league. Jessica Aditays is averaging over six K's per game, which ranks ninth in the ACC. Crystal Crews, meanwhile, has the ninth-best ERA in the conference.
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Three seems to be the decisive digit for the Terrapin offense. So far in 2005, the Terps have compiled a 19-0 record when they score at least three runs. All 17 of Maryland's losses have come in games that it has scored two runs or less.
FRESH FACES
Head coach Gina LaMandre's squad welcomes seven new faces in 2005. Freshmen Jenny Belak, Meghan Booth, Medley McGuire and Whitney Reigel are the Terps' class of 2008, while sophomore Abbey Welch joins the program from Longwood University and juniors Nikki Smith and Crystal Crews come to College Park from Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla.
Welch (7-4) has made an immediate impact, as the versatile sophomore has seen time at pitcher and in the outfield. The La Plata, Md., native gave the Terrapins their first victory of the year with an outstanding pitching performance against Missouri (Feb. 19). She notched two more victories at the Red and Black Challenge against UNC Greensboro (March 4) and then-No. 13/17 Georgia (March 5). Welch's most impressive performance to date came at the Florida State Invitational, where she one-hit St. Joseph's (March 13) and picked up two victories. Most recently, Welch shut out Towson (April 27) and struck out eight batters to pick up the win. In 2005, Welch has a team-high tying seven victories, 51 strikeouts and two saves.
Also excelling in the pitcher's circle is Crews (4-6). The junior fireballer returned from an autumn knee injury and has pitched extremely well in her 11 starts.
Smith has started 34 of the Terps' first 39 games behind the plate and hit her first career home run on Feb. 19 vs. Penn State. The junior is hitting .257 on the year with six doubles and eight RBI.
Belak has seen extensive action in the outfield and had her first career RBI in the Terps' 3-2 win over Missouri on Feb. 19. The rookie has scored 14 runs and has stolen a team-high six bases. She hit the game-winning single against Georgia on March 4 and posted her first-career multiple-hit game against Mount St. Mary's on March 19. In her ACC debut, Belak tallied three RBI and a stolen base in the three-game series at Virginia Tech. She notched a career-high three RBI in the Terps' 5-0 win over Villanova and hit her first career triple on April 6 vs. Delaware State. Recently, the right fielder tied a career-best with a 3-for-4 game against Towson (April 27), stealing her team-high seventh base and notching an RBI.
Familiar Faces
The Terrapin seniors, Jessica Aditays, Nneka Cardoza, Lauren Pollock, Crystal Rizzuto and Crystal Tweedy, are approaching the end of their illustrious careers. As a class, the quintet has won more than 130 games and been a part of many memorable Maryland victories.
The seniors will no doubt leave their mark in the Maryland record books. Aditays currently ranks in the all-time top five for victories, innings pitched, strikeouts, shutouts, complete games and appearances, while Pollock and Rizzuto are both approaching their 100th-career hits.
Cardoza's 81 runs scored ranks tied for seventh all-time, while her 24 stolen bases is tied for fifth. The shortstop recently notched her 100th-career hit and has put together arguably her best defensive season during her senior campaign.
Tweedy, meanwhile, ranks second all-time for sacrifice hits and 10th with 70 runs scored. The speedy left-handed batter is also poised to crack Maryland's top 10 for career hits.
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
332
Career coaching victories by Terps' head coach Gina LaMandre
27
Keri Lounge has batted in a team-high 25 runs
12
Maryland plays its last 12 regular-season games at the Terrapin Softball Complex
7
Seven different Terrapins have hit home runs in 2005
7
The Terps have faced seven opponents in 2005 that have either been ranked or receiving votes in the top 25 polls
4
Against those opponents, Maryland has earned four victories
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech, ranked No. 17/18 by national polls, enters the weekend series with a 44-10 overall record, 10-3 in the ACC. Currently atop the conference rankings, the Yellow Jackets' three league losses have been at the hands of North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Leading the Jackets offensively is Christine Sheridan, Amy Hosier and Savannah Brown. Sheridan leads the ACC with a .410 batting average and has knocked in 30 runs, while Hosier is second in the league with a .380 batting average and has a team-high 35 RBI. Brown, meanwhile, hits at a .289 clip and has hit six home runs. Jessica Sallinger is Georgia Tech's ace, as the senior has compiled a 23-7 record and has struck out a conference-high 306 batters.
Georgia Tech head coach Ehren Earleywine is in his second season leading the Yellow Jackets.
The Maryland-Georgia Tech series is knotted, 15-15, in games dating back to the Terps' inaugural softball season in 1995. The Yellow Jackets are winners of 11-straight in the series, including a 6-4 victory at last year's ACC Tournament in Tallahassee. The last Maryland victory came on May 11, 2001 -- a 1-0 win at the ACC Tournament in Raleigh, N.C.
LAST TIME OUT: MARYLAND 1, TOWSON 0
Maryland pitcher Abbey Welch allowed just three hits and matched a career-high eight strikeouts while Natalie Grossman hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th winning to give Maryland a 1-0 win over in-state rival Towson.
Looking to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 11th inning, Lauren Pollock started the Terp rally by reaching first base on a fielding error by Fisher. After Crystal Rizzuto singled to left field, the runners advanced to second and third base on a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Reigel. Pollock crossed home plate on a Natalie Grossman single and gave Maryland the 1-0 win.
Reigel got the first start of her career at second base, while Nikki Smith and Lindsay Klein led Maryland offensively with two hits each.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS: OUR HOUSE
The Terrapins' 2005 schedule is highlighted by being selected to host the ACC Softball Tournament from May 12-15. The Terrapin Softball Complex, now in its third full season as the home of the Terps, will provide an outstanding facility for the conference tournament. The Terps are 9-4 on their home field so far this season.
TERPS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
As determined by a preseason vote of the league's head coaches, the Terrapins were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State was tabbed the preseason favorite, followed by Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
CALLAWAY RETURNS TO MARYLAND AS ASSISTANT COACH
Former Terrapin infielder Jillian Callaway, a 2003 University of Maryland graduate, joined the staff of her former team as an assistant coach in August 2004. A standout for the Terrapin softball team from 1999-2003, Callaway finished her career on Maryland's all-time top 10 list for games played (195) and started (189), hits (128) and RBI (63).
Callaway joins former teammate Michelle Burrell on head coach Gina LaMandre's staff. Burrell, a 2001 Maryland graduate, was an outstanding outfielder for the Terps from 1998-2001 and is in her fourth season as an assistant coach.
UP NEXT
Maryland wraps up its regular season schedule with two non-conference doubleheaders next week. The Terps will face Delaware on Wed., May 4 at 2 p.m., then host George Mason on Sat., May 7 at 1 p.m.
The 2005 ACC Tournament will be held at the Terrapin Softball Complex from May 12-15. Click here for complete tournament information.
EMAIL STRAIGHT TO YOU
If you would like the latest Maryland softball news sent directly to you as soon as it breaks, email softball contact Amy Mulligan at mulligan@umd.edu with "Softball Email" as the subject and you will automatically receive every update on the team.