May 13, 2005

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It took extra innings to determine a winner as Maryland clipped NC State 3-2 in the eighth in game eight of the 2005 ACC Softball Championship. Senior Crystal Tweedy went 3-for-5 in the game with a run scored and two RBI, including the game-winner in the eighth to guide the Terrapins to the victory.

Maryland broke through in the third as first baseman Lindsay Klein hit an RBI single to center field scoring Tweedy from second. Tweedy reached first with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Wolfpack pitcher Abbie Sims. With two down, Klein laced a liner passed the out stretched glove of Sims. Tweedy raced around third and slid into home just ahead of the tag by NC State catcher Miranda Ervin giving the Terrapins the one-run lead.

NC State came right back in the bottom half of the inning as Heather Gelbard and Shanna Smith reached on a pair of singles. Maryland pitcher Jessica Aditays got two straight outs before Sims helped her own cause singling up the middle, scoring pitch runner Lee Hasper from second to tie the game at 1-1.

Maryland would quickly counter in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Crystal Rizzuto started the top of the fourth with a walk and advanced to second as Lauren Pollock reached safely on a fielder's choice. Nneka Cardoza then walked on a 3-1 count to load the bases for Tweedy. Tweedy came through for the Terps blasting an RBI single to center scoring pinch runner Whitney Reigel from third.

Klein started the Maryland fifth with a single up the middle and was replaced at first by pinch runner Meghan Booth. Catcher Nikki Smith drew a one out walk. After Shaina Ervin replaced Sims in the circle for the Wolfpack, Ervin walked Rizzuto to load the bases. Lauren Pollock hit a grounder to short where NC State's Shanna Smith threw home for the force out. Ervin then got Natalie Grossman to strike out swinging, leaving the bases loaded and ending the Terrapin threat.

Jen Chamberlin tied the game for the Wolfpack connecting on a one-out single to left field. Tweedy misplayed the ball in left allowing pinch runner Beth Poore to score all the way from first. With two outs and runners on first and second, Crystal Crews relieved Aditays in the circle and induced a fly out to left by Ashleigh Davis to end the inning.

Pitch hitter Rachel Greyson got hit by a 0-1 offering by Smith to lead off the top of the Maryland eighth. Grossman reentered the game for Greyson at first and then stole second with two outs in the inning. With a 2-2 offering from Smith, Tweedy registered her second RBI single of the evening giving the Terps a 3-2 lead.

Crews set the Wolfpack down in order in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win in relief and run her record to 6-8. She threw 3.1 innings allowing no runs on two hits and three strikeouts. Ervin took the loss working 3.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit while striking out five.

With the win Maryland moves to 28-20 on the season and will face Virginia Tech in an elimination game at 3:30 pm on Saturday, May 14. The loss runs NC State's record to 41-25, eliminating the Wolfpack from the 2005 ACC Tournament.