Box Score vs. JMU
Box Score vs. UMBC

BALTIMORE - The Niagara softball team (1-8) dropped two very different games to James Madison and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) in the final day of the 2012 UMBC Retriever Classic on Sunday morning.

"We clearly aren't buying into doing the little things that will make us successful," head coach Al Dirschberger said. "We were hurt today by a lack of hustle and focus. We will need to improve on these areas in order to succeed."

James Madison 14, Niagara 0
Niagara's first game of the day against James Madison (5-7) didn't go as planned, with the Dukes scoring eight runs on eight hits and two Purple Eagle errors in the first three innings of play.

Ashley Burnham hit a two-run home run over the center field wall off of starting pitcher Bri Allen for a 2-0 Dukes lead in the top of the first inning. James Madison would score six more times in the top of the third inning by playing small ball, earning its runs by hitting five singles.

James Madison would add six more runs on four hits and two errors in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run down the left field line by Caitlen Manning.

Senior Jennifer Hare broke up Heather Kiefer's no-hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning, just a frame after sophomore Brittany Richberg drew a walk to end her perfect game bid. 

UMBC 1, Niagara 0
Niagara's second game of the day against the host-Retrievers (5-6) was very different from its first game. Sophomore hurler Kim Bryson dueled with UMBC's Katie Ferguson for all seven innings, with one run and 18 strikeouts between them.

Bryson gave up the game's only run in the bottom of the fifth inning, throwing three consecutive walks with two outs and a runner on second base.

The Purple Eagles threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning, when Hare led off the frame with a walk. With a runner on, junior Alexis Wayne hit into a double play and junior Gabrielle Lustrinelli flied out to center field to end the game.

The Ohio native went the distance, finishing the game with a career-high 10 strikeouts and gave up only two hits. 

The Purple Eagles are back in action next weekend, when they head back to the UMBC campus for the 2012 UMBC Dawg Pound Invitational.