BALTIMORE, Md. (March 10, 2018)-The Morgan State softball team returned to action on Saturday for Day 1 of the MSU Invitational at Lois T. Murray Field. The Lady Bears would end splitting their doubleheader with crosstown foe, the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), dropping the first game to the Retrievers, 7-4, before earning a 6-1 victory in Game 2.
 
The Lady Bears will close out the tournament with a single game against St. Bonaventure on Sunday, March 10 at 12 p.m.
 
Game 1
UMBC (2-13) struck first with a run in the first inning on a RBI groundout by Valerie Hammett. The Retrievers would extend their lead to 4-0, when they added three more run in the second inning. Carly Lesko scored on a wild pitch and a Morgan State throwing error, allowed Tori Alexander to score and make it a 3-0 lead. The guests rounded out the scoring in the inning with a single by Julia Keffler, scoring Maddie Daigneau for a 4-0 lead.
 
Morgan State (6-10) got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second and added two more runs in the third when Gabriella Gorosave doubled to right center to score Damali Young and Mekeil Turner later scored on a wild pitch to bring the hosts within a run at 4-3.
 
The Lady Bears would even the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning when Evvie Buehlman doubled to center field to score Gorosave.
 
UMBC however would plate three runs in the very next inning for the 7-4 victory.
 
Amy Begg would fall to 4-5 on the season with the loss, while Kim Puccio improved to 2-8 on the season.
 
Game 2
The visiting Retrievers would record seven hits, but only managed a run and also committed four errors in the second game. Morgan State would score six runs on six hits and was charged with two errors.
 
The Lady Bears got on the board first with four runs in the third inning. Leading 1-0, Morgan State's Jalian Young would score on a passed ball for the Lady Bears' second run of the inning. Gabriella Gorosave would later homer to center field to drive in two more runs and give the Lady Bears a 4-0 lead.
 
UMBC scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth inning when Toni Santonastass on a fielding error to cut the deficit to 4-1.
 
The Lady Bears got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Giselle Alvarez tripled to right field to score Damali Young to give Morgan State a 5-1 lead.
 
Morgan State rounded out the scoring in the sixth innings, when M McIntyre singled up the middle to score Stormy Zyzyk for the sixth run.
 
The Lady Bears would be led by Gorosave, who went 1-for-3 at the plate with a homerun, a run scored and 2RBI. Pitcher Stephanie Rundlett earned the win and improved to 2-4 on the season. Rundlett pitched a complete game, surrendering a run on seven hits and threw eight strikeouts.
 
UMBC was led by Carly Lesko, who went 2-for-3, while Santonastass was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Kim Puccio was charged with the loss and fell to 2-9 on the season. Puccio lasted three innings and allowed four runs on three hits and struck out two.