May 16, 2002
Columbia, S.C. – The Retrievers of UMBC, despite being out hit by a tough
Liberty team, won 7-1 today over the Flames and advance in the NCAA
Softball Regional to face Eastern Kentucky on Friday at 2:00 p.m. in
Columbia, S.C.
UMBC (47-20) recorded their first win in a NCAA Tournament for any team
sport as they eliminated Liberty (28-35) from the tournament. Both
Eastern Kentucky and UMBC have recorded one loss in the double
elimination NCAA Regional Championships in Columbia.
UMBC drew first blood as Deanna Vecchio scored off of an RBI single by
Jessica Graziano with two outs in the inning. UMBC was unable to do
anything more in that inning as Bonnie Nevin flied out to left field to end
the inning.
Liberty would not score in the top of the second and in the bottom of the
second, UMBC would go on a scoring spree, getting four runs. Alexis
Viera led off the half inning for the Retrievers with a single to left field.
Angie Amedro pinch hit for Christy Sheppard and singled to center,
advancing Viera to second. Sheppard came back in to run and Crystal
Beveridge laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners one spot.
Abbie Kahn was next up and drove in Viera from third with an RBI single
and then advanced to second as Liberty tried to get the runner. Deanna
Vecchio came up and reached first off of an error by the second baseman,
advancing Kahn to third and scoring Sheppard.
Liberty pitcher Ali Thompson became a little off her beat as she then threw
two illegal pitches. The first one advanced Vecchio to second and scored
Sheppard while the second illegal pitch advanced Vecchio to third. Lisa
Boone flied out to center to record the second out. Kristie Pickeral reached
first on an error by the second baseman Tiffany Carp, her second error of
the inning and Vecchio third. Liberty was able to end UMBC’s inning as
Jessica Graziano grounded out to shortstop.
Liberty would get their lone run in the top of the fourth inning. Tiffany
Johnson led off the Flames charge with a double to left field. Cassie
Campbell flied out to right field to give the Flames one out. Catcher
Amanda Maska would then come on and double to centerfield, scoring
Johnson. After that RBI double, UMBC changed pitchers and went with
Kristin Dulay the rest of the way home. Ashley Pound was the first to face
Dulay and fouled out to the shortstop. Dulay then walked Allison Terry.
Mary Beth Kennell singled to left, which advanced Maska to third and Terry
to second. With bases loaded, Liberty was threatening once again, but
UMBC escaped as Lauren Hahn flied out to left field.
UMBC would score one run in the bottom of the fifth, and again in the
bottom of the sixth and that would seal Liberty’s fate as well as ensure
that UMBC would live to play another day of softball in the NCAA
Tournament. UMBC would defeat Lliberty 7-1 and record their first team
win in a NCAA Tournament in any sport. Liberty, having already lost to
UCLA earlier in the day, was the first team to be eliminated from the
Columbia, S.C. regional.
UMBC faces Eastern Kentucky Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Beckham
Field in Columbia, S.C. The winner of that game will advance to face
top-ranked UCLA at 7:00 p.m. Friday night. In between those games,
second-seeded Georgia will face host and third-seeded South Carolina at
4:30 p.m.
