CATONSVILLE, Md. – Coppin State's softball team dropped a pair of games at UMBC on Thursday afternoon as both teams opened their seasons at The Diamond. The Retrievers took the opener, 10, before edging the Eagles, 7-6 in the nightcap.
After spotting UMBC four runs in the first two innings in game two, Coppin rallied for six runs in the next three innings to make it a one-run game. With one-out and the bases loaded in the third,
Sydney Dombrowski hit a shot to center field for a sacrifice fly, and an error by the catcher on the play allowed
Desiree Carrizosa and
Haley Bravo to score.
UMBC got one of the runs back in its half of the third but
Alexis Genovese hit a solo home run to left in the fourth inning to cut the deficit back to 5-3.
The Retrievers regained a three-run lead after the bottom half until the Eagles erupted for three runs on four hits to tie the score at 6-6 in the fifth. Bravo got the rally started with a double to the gap in left center before scoring on a single by
Melanie Aguilera. A single by
Cindy Sanchez put two runners on, and she, as well as Aguilera scored on a double by
Isabella Zalba.
UMBC went back on top, 7-6 with a run in the bottom of the fifth and the score remained that way until the seventh. A hit, a fielding error and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but the Eagles failed to capitalize with a groundout to end the game.
Bravo went 3-of-4 with two runs in game two with Zalba going 1-for-2 with two RBI and a pair of walks.
In the circle,
Kayleigh Reome allowed four runs over the first 1.1 innings after she tossed the final 2.0 innings in game one where she allowed no earned runs.
Vanessa Carrizosa made her collegiate debut on the rubber and allowed just two earned runs while striking out three in 4.2 innings.
The opener was not as friendly to the Eagles who went up against Courtney Coppersmith, one of the top pitchers in the Nation. UMBC scored eight runs over the first two innings but Reome relieved
Brissa Alvarado to start the third inning and got a 1-2-3 inning.
Alvarado singled to start the fourth for Coppin but was left stranded, and Aguilera managed another in the fifth.
The Eagles were scheduled to host Bowie State on Saturday, March 6 but those games have been postponed due to Covid-related protocols.
