April 10, 2011

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Freshman Candice Beards hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth inning and the University of Maryland softball team topped Boston College 4-3 Sunday.

Beard's game-winning fly out to right field scored junior Bree Hanafin, who opened the inning with a lead-off double and advanced to third on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by junior Kendra Knight.

The Eagles (10-22) scored first in Sunday's series finale thanks to a sacrifice groundout by Brittany Wilkins, but the Terrapins (27-12) countered in the bottom of the third.

Maryland got on the board with back-to-back doubles from senior Marisha Branson and junior Kathy McLaughlin and took a 3-1 lead after sophomore Sara Acosta's two-run home run, her first of the season.

In the top of the sixth, the Eagles, who played Maryland tough all weekend, tied the game at 3 runs apiece after Tory Speer's two-run shot over the left-field wall.

In the seventh, freshman Ashley Czechner entered in relief and allowed just one hit over the next four innings while striking out five and picking up her team-leading 11th win. Boston College's Morgan Kidd accrued the loss after giving up the 10th-inning game-winner.

With a sweep of Boston College, the Terps improve to 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and will resume play on Apr. 16 when they play host to NC State for a three-game series.

Maryland is currently on a five-game winning streak and, dating back to Mar. 11, has won 18 of 21.

-Go Terps-