Feb. 20, 2009
Box Score
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -
With the game-tying run a mere 60 feet from home plate, Sarah Dooley buckled down and pitched with composure indicative of her senior leader status, enabling the University of Maryland softball team to edge Hawaii, 3-2, Thursday night and conclude its first day at the Cathedral City Classic with another victory.
Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Hawai'i scored a pair of unearned runs and had runners at the corners with two outs. But Dooley, a veteran pitcher making her 48th career start for Maryland, induced the ensuing Rainbow Wahine batter to fly out to right field to seal the Terrapins' second win in as many games played at the Big League Dreams Sports Park.
Dooley (1-2), who retired the first seven batters she faced and did not surrender a hit until the fifth inning, went the distance for the second time this season to claim her first victory of 2009. The Terrapins' right-hander allowed just three hits and no earned runs with a pair of strikeouts to secure the 17th win of her career.
For the second consecutive game, the Terps built a 3-0 lead with senior Breanna Shaw playing a major role. Shaw drove the ball over the left field fence during the second inning to account for the game's first run. She added a lead-off single in the sixth inning, marking her second consecutive multi-hit game.
Following Shaw's home run, the second of her career, Maryland (2-5) relied upon successful offensive execution to manufacture additional scoring opportunities.
Consecutive singles by juniors Lydia Fowler and Nadine Blackie to lead off the third inning proved the catalyst for producing another Maryland run. Freshman Vangie Galindo advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and sophomore Niki Lau's RBI ground out gave the Terps a 2-0 advantage.
Blackie contributed yet again during Maryland's half of the fifth to add an insurance run that proved to be the game-winner. The Delta, British Columbia, native singled up the middle, stole second and advanced to third on a bunt single by Lau. A sacrifice fly by junior Alex Schultz platted Blackie and extended Maryland's lead.
Pitcher Courtney Baughman (2-5) took the loss for Hawai'i (2-9) despite pitching a complete game, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. Maryland, which upped its team batting average to .281, has outhit five of its first seven opponents this season.
The Terps return to action with a single game during the second day of the Cathedral City Classic. Maryland takes on No. 14/15 Fresno State at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Big League Dreams Sports Park.
Maryland (2-5) 011 010 0 - 3 8 2
Hawai'i (2-9) 000 000 2 - 2 3 0
LOB - Maryland 7; Hawai'i 7. HR - Breanna Shaw. HBP - Michelle Takeda; Richie-Anne Titcomb; Kanani Pu`u-Warren. SH - Vangie Galindo; Devon Williams. SF - Alex Schultz. SB - Nadine Blackie. W - Sarah Dooley (1-2. L - Courtney Baughman (2-5).
