LOCATION: The Diamond at UMBC - Baltimore, Md. 
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 24-20, 11-7 America East | UMBC 26-15, 15-4 America East
 
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes were unable to overcome an early scoring run from the Retrievers and fell in the America East Championship, Saturday.
 
SCORE: UMBC 9, UAlbany 3
 
KEY STATS

• Senior Morgan Petty led the Great Danes with two hits from three at-bats. Hitting one double and one home run, she tallied an RBI and three runs scored.
• Senior Maddi Petrella and freshman Deanna Grahek each added a double while senior Caitlyn Mitros, freshman Sara Anderson, and freshman Kasey Conn hit a single each.
• Redshirt-sophomore Kate Powers started the game in the circle with senior Wendi Hammond pitching the final 3.1 innings.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Retrievers started the game hot with four innings in the first inning.
• Maddi Petrella opened the second inning with a first-pitch double to right field. Unable to advance, she was left on second base.
• After three-straight outs from the Great Dane defense in the bottom of the second, Kasey Conn hit a short pop fly to get on base with a single to center field.
• On a fielding error and a three-run homer, UMBC took a 9-0 lead before the end of the third inning.
• Morgan Petty opened the fourth with a double to left field before advancing to third base on a wild pitch.
• As graduate student Chloe Lewis got on base with a fielding error, Petty took the opportunity to run through home and score the first Great Dane run.
• One Retriever single and two fielder's choice plays later, Wendi Hammond closed the fourth with a strikeout to leave one UMBC base runner on base.
• With two outs on the board and a full count, and a game loss on the line, Petty knocked the ball out of the park to extend the game and take away the Retrievers' possible run-rule win.
• The Great Danes tallied three-straight outs in the field to bring the game into the sixth inning.
• Deanna Grahek made it on base with a double to left field but was left on base when the inning ended.
• For the second-straight inning, the UAlbany defense went 1-2-3 to head to the dugout for what proved to be the final time.
• Caitlyn Mitros started the inning with a single through the left side. 
• With Mitros out on a fielder's choice, Petty made it to second with two outs on the board.
• After loading the bases with Petrella's third walk and Lewis taking a hit-by-pitch, Sara Anderson earned an RBI while drawing a walk but UMBC took the win with a final strikeout.

 
ELITE-18

• The Elite-18 award is honored to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing in the championship of their respective sport.
• Junior Caroline Srokowski (academic senior) will graduate this month with a bachelor's in biology and a 4.00 GPA.

 
ALL-TOURNAMENT

• As the runner-up, UAlbany put three student-athletes on the America East All-Tournament team.
• Pitching in all five of the Great Danes' tournament games, Wendi Hammond was named All-Tournament. The senior pitched 17.1 innings with one complete game win, one save, and 15 strikeouts.
• Morgan Petty was UAlbany's second honoree. The two-time America East Player of the Year totaled five hits, including two doubles and one home run, for two RBI and four runs scored throughout the 3-2 week. Seeing most of her action in the championship contest, Petty was the lone scorer for the Great Danes with all three runs scored.
• Last but not least, Maddi Petrella was named All-Tournament. A senior catcher, the Texas native tallied seven hits, including one double, for two RBI. A main staple in the Great Dane offense for the final elimination game against Maine, her three hits and two RBI helped UAlbany win and advance to the championship game.

 
For more information on the University at Albany softball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanysb
Instagram - @ualbanysb