Andrews Homer Lifts Softball Over Maryland

Sunday, April 17

College Park, Md.

1:00 PM

NC State

21-20, 0

Maryland

28-13, 0

NC State

Maryland

4/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 http://stats.gopack.com/sports/w-softbl/2010-2011/st0417-2.html

April 17, 2011

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - NC State (21-20, 3-10 ACC) softball split a doubleheader with Maryland today in College Park, Md. The Pack dropped the first contest 3-1 but won the second by a score of 2-1.

Toni Ann Williford went 2-for-3 with two singles for the Pack in the game two.

Morgan Peeler earned the start for the Wolfpack in the circle. The junior from Salisbury, N.C. forced Maryland (28-12, 6-3 ACC) to leave eight runners on based while giving up one run on seven hits in seven innings of work.

Maryland took an early 1-0 lead in the second game of the twinbill, notching one run in the bottom of the first inning.

The Wolfpack, however, responded in the top of the second, notching a run of its own to knot the score at one. Bridget Desbois led off the inning with a single and was replaced by Samantha Melton, a pinch runner. The next batter, Bethaney Wells, laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt to move Melton into scoring position. Later in the frame, Caitlin Dent stepped to the plate and notched her third single of the day, which plated Melton to give NC State a 1-1 tie.

NC State threatened to strike in the sixth inning when Williford started the inning with a base hit and moved to second on a Terrapin error. Alyssa Allbritten then knocked a base hit, moving Williford to third. Desbois, though, popped out to end the inning with the 1-1 tie remaining.

Breanna Andrews put the Pack up 2-1 in the seventh inning by blasting her second homerun of the 2011 season.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Maryland outhit the Wolfpack seven hits to three, taking a 3-0 victory in College Park, Md.

Dent notched two of NC State's three hits, going 2-for-3 for the Pack. Kayla Cox took the loss in the circle, surrendering three runs off of seven hits while striking out six Terps.

The Wolfpack threatened in the top of the first after Williford and Alyssa Ishibashi drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Maryland starting pitcher Kerry Hickey, however, retired the next three Pack batters to end the frame, leaving the game scoreless.

Maryland loaded the bases in the first, but Cox was able to work out of the jam by inducing two flyouts and a strikeout from the Terp hitters. After one inning of play, the game remained scoreless.

The Terrapins got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three runs off of three hits, including a two-run homerun by Marisha Branson, to take a 3-0 lead over the Pack.

In the top of the seventh inning, Dent reached on a base hit and was replaced by a pinch runner, Kirstin Morris. Morris moved to third and scored on an Andrews sacrifice fly, which put the Wolfpack on the board, 1-0.

NC State softball returns to action Tuesday, April 19 at South Carolina for a single game at 5 p.m.