April 9, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Virginia Tech softball team dropped a pair of games to the University of Maryland Sunday afternoon at the Terrapin Softball Complex. Tech fell 1-0 in eight innings in the opener before dropping a 5-1 contest in the second game. The two were scheduled to play a three-game series, but rain postponed Saturday's contests and they were able to get just two games in on Sunday.

In the first game, neither team could score in seven innings, sending the game into extra innings. In the eighth, Keri Lounge reached on Alisia Narodowski's error and came around to score from first base on Lindsey Ubrun's double to center.

Angela Tincher (L, 18-3) was the tough-luck loser as she got no offensive support. She went 7.2 innings, giving up one unearned run on just two hits. She walked five and struck out 13. All three of her losses this year have been by the score of 1-0.

At the plate, Tech had just three hits, coming from Narodowski, Caroline Stolle and Charisse Mariconda.

The second game got off to a better start as the Hokies put a run on the board in the first inning. After Erin Ota tripled to right-center field, Kelly Brown drove her in with a single to left field. But Ubrun wasted little time in tying the game up in the bottom of the first, hitting a solo home run to center field.

In the third inning, Tech starter Katie Maynard loaded the bases on a walk, a single and hit batsmen with just one out. That forced a pitching change as Tincher was brought back in. After striking out the first batter, she gave up a grand slam to Nikki Smith, making it 5-1.

Maynard (L, 10-7) went 2.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on two hits. She walked two and struck out three. Tincher went the final 3.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out seven.

At the plate, Ota had three hits to lead the way. Mariconda and Jessica Everhart each had two hits while Brown had the other Tech hit.

With the two losses, Tech falls to 28-10, 7-4 in the ACC. The Hokies will return to action on Wednesday, taking on Ohio University in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m., in Athens, Ohio.