photos courtesy of Chris Permar

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- The UMBC softball team edged Delaware, 6-5 in 10 innings and 4-2 in five innings, during the Blue Hens’ 2010 home opener Tuesday afternoon at the newly-renovated Delaware Softball Stadium.

The Retrievers won their ninth straight game while improving to 9-1 on the season, while Delaware has now lost nine straight and is 2-12 on the year. The Blue Hens’ current skid is their longest since a 12-game losing streak in the 1991 season.

In the opener, UMBC struck first in the top of the third inning as Lynn Probonis led off with a single to leftfield and scored on a two-out single to left by Malorie Weller. The Retrievers added a run in the fifth as Jessica Vetock worked a one-out walk, went to second on a single by Lauren Brummell, and scored when Weller reached on an error by Blue Hen second baseman Lindsay Novak.

The Blue Hens rallied in the bottom of the sixth when Amanda Stacevicz (right) and Shanette White each singled to leftfield. Stacevicz was then retired for the second out of the inning when Emily Wilcox reached on a fielder’s choice, but Gina Knutson followed with a triple to rightfield, driving home both runners to knot the game at 2-2.

The contest remained deadlocked until the top of the ninth, when the Retrievers put runners on second and third with two outs. Amanda Page then singled to left to drive home both runs, and after she went to second on the throw to the plate, she came around to score when Knutson’s throw from home sailed all the way to the centerfield fence.

But down three runs in the bottom of the frame, Delaware battled back to tie the game once again. Jenny Richards ignited the rally with a double to leftcenter, and she advanced to third on a wild pitch while Novak walked to put runners on the corners. Cecile Egan then doubled to centerfield to drive home Richards, and one out later Stacevicz lined a two-run single to center to tie the game at 5-5.

However with one out in the 10th inning Brummell laced a home run over the rightfield fence, and UMBC reliever Amanda Fefel retired the Blue Hens in order during the bottom of the frame to close out the win for the Retrievers.

Fefel won her first decision of the season after allowing three earned runs on three hits in three innings of work. Blue Hen starter Anne Marie Pagano gave up five runs, three earned, on 10 hits in 8.2 innings, while Stacevicz dropped to 0-5 after she allowed one earned run on one hit in 1.1 innings of relief.

Delaware banged out 11 hits during the contest, including two apiece by Egan, Michelle Grap (left) and Stacevicz.

After the nightcap was scoreless through two innings, UMBC pushed across four runs in the top of the third to take control. Delaware starter Bertie Lake retired the first two batters of the inning, but Brummell doubled to centerfield and scored on an RBI single to right by Weller to put the Retrievers on the board. After Fefel followed with a single to center, Julia Culotta and Kaela Mason each walked to force home Weller and make it a 2-0 game.

Stacevicz then relieved Lake for Delaware, but two runs scored when Emily Thompson singled up the middle as the Retrievers took a 4-0 advantage.

UMBC pitcher Heather Brown was perfect through the first four innings, but the Blue Hens attempted to come back in the bottom of the fifth. Grap led off the frame by lacing a pitch over the centerfield fence for her team-leading fourth home run of the season, and one out later Rachel Jones doubled to the gap in leftcenter.

White then singled into rightfield to put runners on the corners, and Jones crossed the plate when Wilcox reached on an error by Vetock at shortstop as the Blue Hens closed to within 4-2. The runners then moved to second and third on a groundout to the pitcher by Knutson, but Vetock made up for her miscue by making a backhanded stop and nipping Richards at first base to end the rally. The game was then called due to darkness, giving UMBC the doubleheader sweep.

Brown, who allowed two earned runs on three hits in five innings, improved to 4-0 for the Retrievers. Lake dropped to 1-3 after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits in 2.2 innings, while Stacevicz gave up just two hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Delaware takes a week off before hosting the Temple Owls in a 3 p.m. doubleheader next Wednesday.