May 7, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland softball team dropped two games to North Carolina Saturday afternoon at Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The Terps (37-16, 11-7 ACC) fell 2-0 in the first game and 6-5 in the second.

Junior Vangie Galindo went 3-for-6 on the day. Her three hits tied Maryland's single season hits record of 70 set by Jenny Belak in 2006.

Senior Kerry Hickey started in the circle in game one. She pitched her 18th complete game this year. She allowed just four hits and notched nine strikeouts.

The Tar Heels (32-19, 13-6 ACC) took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After two walks and one hit by pitch, Brittany McKinney looped a base hit into centerfield to score two runs with two outs. Catcher Samantha Mallory threw out Ally Blake at third to end the inning.

After allowing a leadoff base hit in the top of the third and fourth, Hickey and the Terps got three straight outs to end each inning.

Junior Kendra Knight started in the circle in the second game. The Tar Heels went 1-2-3 through the first three innings.

North Carolina got on the board with one run in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second, Ally Blake singled to right to score Paige Williams.

Maryland answered with a two-run bottom of the fourth. Junior Bree Hanafin reached second on a Tar Heel error and scored on a second UNC error to tie the game. Senior Marisha Branson doubled off of the centerfield wall, advanced to third on a Nikki Maier fly out and scored on an RBI single to right by freshman pinch hitter Candice Beards.

In the top of the fifth, Knight got out of a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a groundout to Branson at third that got the runner going home. Knight got the final out when Haleigh Dickey hit it back to her just in front of the circle.

Maryland added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Galindo got the offense started with a single up the middle with one out. Kathy McLaughlin followed with a base hit and they both scored off of a double by Hanafin. Lexi Carroll brought her in with another base hit to put the Terps up 5-1.

North Carolina answered with a five-run top of the sixth. Logan Foulks led off with a double, then Blake walked. Ashley Czechner came on to pitch for the Terrapins and got an out, but then walked two Heels and brought in a run. Hickey came on to finish the inning and another run scored off of a wild pitch. Amy Nece doubled to tie the game at five and Elisha Elliott gave UNC the lead with a single up the middle.

The Terps will honor Marisha Branson, Lauren Ghent, Marybeth Herrick, Kerry Hickey and Brittany Murray Sunday in the Senior Day ceremony. Maryland and North Carolina will take the field at 1 p.m. Admission is free and live stats will be available.

Sunday's game will be shown on TerpsTV Premium, which is a subscription service that offers exclusive video and audio content. The service is available for an annual subscription price of $79.95 or a monthly subscription of $9.95 per month.