CATONSVILLE, Md. – Coppin State's softball team dropped a pair of games to UMBC on Wednesday afternoon at The Diamond at UMBC. The Eagles (7-11) dropped game one, 9-1, before taking an 8-5 loss in the nightcap.
Game 1: UMBC def. Coppin State, 9-1
The Retrievers wasted no time getting out to the lead, scoring three runs in the first before a grand slam in the second helped them score another five runs to go up eight.
Coppin got on the board with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by
Julianna Mejia. Scoring on a fly ball to center field was
Seryna Esparza who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. She got to third after a single by the reigning MEAC Player of the Week,
Brooklyn Tapusoa, and a passed ball.
Vanessa Carrizosa threw a 1-2-3 fourth inning but UMBC hit a solo home run in the fifth which ended the game.
Tapusoa,
Aniyah Haley and
Giselle Ulloa had hits for the Eagles while Carrizosa gave up nine runs in four innings.
Game 2: UMBC def. Coppin State, 8-5
Coppin led for most of the game, getting out to an early 1-0 lead as
Manaia Fonoti scored on an unearned run in the first. Fonoti reached on a fielder's choice after
Celeste Gonzales singled with one out.
Freshman
Emily Quintero held UMBC in check for the first two innings and Coppin gave her a three-run lead with two runs in the third. Haley and Gonzales drew back-to-back walks to start the inning, and both scored on a wild pitch and an error.
The Retrievers got a run back in their half of the third which Gonzales matched with a RBI double in the fourth, driving in Haley who walked earlier.
UMBC cut the deficit to 4-3 with two runs in the fourth, but Coppin was once again quick to respond. Ulloa started the fifth with a single before advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch. She'd later score after a sac bunt by Tapusoa and a fielding error.
Carrizosa relieved Quintero to start the Retriever half of the fifth and got a quick 1-2-3 inning. Coppin stranded Gonzales and Fonoti in the sixth after the duo got two-out singles, and the Retrievers made Coppin pay with a five-run bottom half to go up, 8-5.
Ulloa walked to start seventh, but relief pitcher Kya Matter, who got the complete game in the opener, struck out the next three batters.
Gonzales went 3-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk while Fonoti and Ulloa had the other hits for the Eagles. Haley walked and scored twice as Ulloa also drew a pair of walks.
Quintero gave up just three runs over the first 4.2 innings in the no-decision. Carrizosa went the final 1.1 innings and allowed five runs.
Up Next: Coppin hosts Delaware State in a three-game MEAC series on March 21-22. Thursday's game starts at 5 pm, followed by a 2 pm doubleheader on Friday.
