CATONSVILLE, Md. – Coppin State's softball team used a three-run third inning and held on to defeat UMBC, 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at The Diamond. The Eagles move to 3-12 on the season while the Retrievers fall to 8-8.
Freshmen
Xzylia Maravilla recorded two hits and a walk while classmate
Seryna Esparza drew a pair of walks to go with two runs and two walks to lead the Coppin offense.
Avianna Peterson also drove in two runs while walking twice.
In the circle,
Vanessa Carrizosa improved to 3-5 on the season with her fifth complete game of the season. Carrizosa gave up just three runs on six hits while striking out three in 7.0 innings.
Peterson gave Coppin a 1-0 lead after its half of the first after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Esparza came home on the pitch after she reached on a fielder's choice before getting to third on a pair of walks.
Carrizosa stranded a runner in the bottom half, but UMBC tied the score with a run in the second.
Coppin came right back in its next at-bat, scoring three runs on three hits to take a 4-1 lead. Esparza drew a walk to lead off the inning, and following back-to-back singles from Maravilla and Carrizosa, scored on Peterson's groundout. Maravilla came around to score on
Manaia Fonoti's sacrifice bunt before Celeste Gonzalez drove in Carrizosa with a bunt single with one-out.
The Eagles nearly got more but were doubled up on a lineout to end the inning.
Carrizosa retired nine of the next ten hitters to keep CSU ahead by three, but the Retrievers scored twice in the sixth, cutting the deficit to a run. The first three UMBC hitters reached in the inning, but Carrizosa settled down to get the next three hitters, including a freeze of the final batter of the frame.
After Peterson drew a leadoff walk, she was thrown out at home to end the inning, but Carrizosa held it down, getting a 1-2-3 seventh to seal the win.
The Eagles host Howard in a three-game MEAC series on March 25-26 with a 1 pm doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, followed by a 1 pm first pitch on Sunday.
