April 25, 2007
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
College Park, Md. -
The Terrapins earned a pair of workmanlike wins over the Towson Tigers 4-2 and 5-1 in mid-week action Wednesday evening in College Park, Md. Maryland pitchers Meredith Nelles and Abbey Welch effectively controlled the Tiger bats for most of the day, with seven strikeouts on the day compared with only two walks.
Maryland switched back and forth between the two pitchers in the two games, a tactic which Terrapin Coach Laura Watten described as "effective in keeping them off balance."
The Terps jumped on Towson early in game one, scoring two runs in the first inning. Amber Jackson, already the NCAA leader in walks per game, walked again to lead off the action for the Terps. The fleet-footed Jackson then took second and third with ease to move into scoring position.
Maryland totaled five stolen on the day, and have now stolen 12 bases in their last three games.
After Jenny Belak singled to center field, Jennifer Wellborn singled as well to score Jackson and Belak and give the Terps an early 2-0 lead.
A deep double by Jackson to left center field in the second drove in Alex Schultz from first base, and extend the Maryland lead to 3-0.
Towson's Stefanie Streets homered in the top of the fifth to put the Tigers on the board, but Keri Lounge answered in the bottom of the inning with a double to score Devon Williams.
The Tigers attempted a late rally in the seventh as Navarro and Rosa singled to start off the inning, and Gould doubled to bring home Navarro. Welch came in to relieve Nelles, and the senior forced Streets to ground into a double play. Second baseman Keri Lounge tagged out Jocelyn Hall before throwing to first to end the game.
Welch got the start in game two, and earned her fourth win of the year. Keri Lounge started things out offensively for the Terps, after she struck out swinging, but reached first base as the pitch escaped the grasp of Towson catcher Aimee Rosa. A bunt by Devon Williams advanced Lounge to second, and a Lindsay Klein single to left field drove home Lounge for a 1-0 Maryland lead.
"I told her I was going to leave her in as long as she wanted," said Watten. "She was really fired up about being in there."
The Terps opened up the game with three more runs in the third inning, including Jackson's 19th home run of the year. Jackson leads the ACC in homers, and ranks third in the nation.
Klein then drove in two more runs with another single, and Lounge and Brittany Bessho scored to give the Terps a 4-0 lead.
The Tigers only run came on a home run by Rosa in the top of the fourth. It was the junior's second homer in the Tigers' last three games.
Nelles and Welch earned wins on the day to improved to 16-8 and 4-1 respectively on the season.
Freshman Alex Schultz made the play of the game for Maryland when she made running grab of a fly ball by Jen Hastings. Schultz ran full speed into the fence, but still made the catch.
"That's my favorite thing to do," said Schultz, who has made several spectacular diving grabs this season. "I love those kinds of catches."
