April 11, 2007
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Terrapins came out swinging for the fences on Wednesday, and did not disappoint, recording an incredible six home runs in a two game sweep of the Georgetown Hoyas. Maryland won by scores of 8-0 and 14-0. Amber Jackson seemed to be batting with a stick of lightening, as she recorded three homers of her own in three official at-bats.
Jackson leads the ACC with 16 home runs, and ranked seventh in the country in home runs per game prior to Wednesday's action.
"I've never seen her hit the ball like she does now. She's so zoned in," said Maryland Coach Laura Watten, who also coached Jackson at Bethune-Cookman College before they both became Terrapins.
Jackson wasn't alone in providing the offensive fireworks for the Terps. Alex Schultz, Lindsey Ubrun, and Stacey Jennings all smashed the ball out of the park, in a pair of games that resembled more of a Terrapin home run derby. With her home run in game two, Jennings notched the first grand slam of her collegiate career.
The senior pitcher from Colorado also got the win for Maryland in game one to improve to 8-8, while Meredith Nelles earned the second victory to improve to 13-5. The two Terrapin aces combined to strike out 11 batters, and allowed five hits and no runs on the day. Jennifer Connell (6-16) and Sarah Kamenski (2-15) took losses for the Hoyas.
The Hoyas challenged the Terps when they met in Georgetown a few weeks ago, taking a 4-1 lead before a late Maryland rally won the game 6-5 in extra innings. In the rematch, however, the Hoyas were doomed from the moment they took the field.
Jackson provided lead-off home runs in both games to put the Terps on the board quickly, and the scoreboard kept flashing as the Terps cycled through their line-up.
Maryland scored three runs in the second inning of game one, starting with a two RBI homer by Ubrun that scored Brittany Bessho from second base. Jennifer Wellborn hit a sacrifice fly to score Jackson, who had walked in her second at-bat, and Maryland had a 4-0 lead.
Wellborn owns seven home runs on the year, second best on the team, but did not join in on the fun on Wednesday. The senior transfer from Birmingham Southern had to settle for two doubles, a triple, and three RBIs.
After two more Maryland runs scored in the fourth inning to give the Terps a 6-0 lead, Jackson recorded a walk-off two RBI homer to end the game in the fifth inning by virtue of the eight-run rule.
"I just go up to bat and think, `see the ball; hit the ball,'" said Jackson, who also scored two runs after she had been walked. "Today was all about making contact. I'm doing a good job of waiting for the right pitch."
Following Jackson's lead-off home run to start game two, Jenny Belak scored from third base on a passed ball to give Maryland an early 2-0 lead.
The Terps then scored eight runs in the second inning to put the game well out of reach. Four of those runs came on Jennings' grand slam.
Ten Terrapins scored in the game two rout, and Maryland tied its largest winning margin of the season. Maryland had previously beaten Virginia 15-1 on March 24.
