TOWSON, Md. - Sophomore pitcher Ambar Hickman threw her second shutout of the season, leading the Towson University softball team to an impressive 8-0 victory over UMBC (14-5) in six innings on Wednesday at the Tiger Softball Complex.

The Tigers won their third straight game and improved to 11-7.

Hickman, who improved her record to 5-2 this season and lowered her earned run average to 1.92, allowed just three hits and walked only a single batter to earn the win.

Towson snapped UMBC's three-game win streak and shutdown the Retriever offense that entered the game with a .309 batting average.

Towson also dealt UMBC freshman pitcher Jessica Holte her first loss after the hurler won nine straight decisions to begin the year.

An RBI double by senior Maureen Hepner scored Olivia Yarbrough in the first inning, giving Towson an early 1-0 lead. It was the first of two doubles on the day for Hepner, who continued her torrid start to her senior campaign by raising her batting average to an eye-catching .466.

The game remained 1-0 until the Tigers broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits. Macie McGeehan hit a two-run single and Yarbrough added a two-run triple in the frame.

Yarbrough,  McGeehan and Jessica South also added two hits apiece for the Tigers.

Towson begins a six-game road-trip on Saturday as part of a doubleheader at Winthrop starting at 1 p.m.