Feb. 21, 2009

Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Making the first start of her career, sophomore Jennifer Anderson hit a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the University of Maryland softball team past No. 17/19 Nevada Saturday night to conclude day three of the Cathedral City Classic in dramatic fashion.

With the Terps trailing 7-5 entering their last at-bat, sophomore Kerry Hickey led off the seventh inning by slapping a base hit to left field, and senior Devon Williams added a single one out later to put Terrapins and first and second and set the stage for Anderson's heroics. The St. Louis, Mo., native, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs, blasted Nevada pitcher Mallary Darby's offering over the left field fence, prompting a celebration to erupt from the Maryland dugout.

Hickey (2-1) pitched five strong innings in relief of starter Sarah Dooley to earn the victory for Maryland, which gained its first win of the season over a ranked opponent. A two-way player from Huntingtown, Md., Hickey struck out 10, allowing two earned runs on five hits.

Williams and Hickey tallied two hits apiece for the Terps (3-7), and freshman Michelle Takeda belted the first homer of her collegiate career, a two-run shot in the first inning to jumpstart Maryland's offense.

The Terps and Wolf Pack traded runs throughout the early portion of the game, with each team platting five baserunners during the first five innings. Takeda answered a three-run outburst by Nevada to start the game with her long-ball in the bottom of the first, scoring sophomore Niki Lau, who reached base with a one-out single.

Maryland added two more runs in the bottom of the second, as junior Nadine Blackie contributed an RBI single to score Williams. Blackie followed Williams across home plate later in the inning after stealing second, advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on an error.

Anderson's first hit as a member of the Terrapins, an RBI single to left field, scored Hickey during the bottom of the third inning, enabling Maryland to knot the game at five. The Wolf Pack (7-6) added single runs in its half of the fourth and sixth innings to build a 7-5 advantage

The Terps threatened but to no avail against Darby (4-2) in both the fifth and sixth innings before Anderson broke through by producing the dramatic game-winning hit in her team's last at-bat.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Terps fell to California, 7-0, despite Lau accounting for the ninth multi-hit game of her career. The outfielder from Centennial, Colo., singled with one out in the first inning and lined a base hit to left field during the sixth.

Freshman Kendra Knight (0-3) started against the Golden Bears, allowing three earned runs in four innings while fanning eight to raise her team-leading strikeout total to 24. Making her sixth relief appearance of the season, Hickey went three innings and surrendered just one earned run.

At the plate Hickey went hitless in three at-bats, snapping her eight-game hitting streak to start the season.

Junior pitcher Marissa Drewrey went the distance for California (11-1) to earn her sixth win of the season. Junior Shannon Thomas had a pair of hits and three runs scored for the Golden Bears.

The Terps conclude their four-day, six-game participation in the Cathedral City Classic by facing yet another nationally ranked opponent. Maryland faces No. 6/6 UCLA at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City, Calif.

Nevada (7-6)         320 101 0 -  7  11  3
Maryland (3-7)       221 003 0 -  8  13  1

LOB - Nevada 7; Maryland 7. 2B - Noelle Micka, 2; Brittany Puzey, 2. 3B - Kym Silagyi. HR - Michelle Takeda; Jennifer Anderson. SH - Sam Bias. SF - Britton Murdock. SB - Kelsey Staff; Kathleen McLaughlin; Nadine Blackie, 2; Marisha Branson. CS - Sam Bias. W - Kerry Hickey (2-1). L - Mallary Darby (4-2)

California (11-1)    012 030 1 -  7  7  1
Maryland (2-7)       000 000 0 -  0  4  3

LOB - Cal 4; Maryland 5. HBP - Vernae Sevilla; Sanoe Kekahuna. SB - Shannon Thomas, 2; Valerie Arioto; Jamia Reid; Gina Leomiti; Shannon Houston; Sanoe Kekahuna. CS - Taylor Kelly. W - Marissa Drewrey (6-1). L - Kendra Knight (0-3).