Maryland getting hit with torrential rains; Ravens Stay in First Place Tie

BALTIMORE, Maryland October 7, 2013 - As Autumn Cold Front Approaches, Torrential Rain Showers Hit Maryland:  Torrential but not constant rain drenched Maryland on Monday morning as an advancing autumn cold front collided with the warm air that had held sway in the Mid-Atlantic in recent days.  The National Weather Service, in a dispatch limited by the obama administration's government shutdown, posted a tornado watch and said up to one inch of rain could fall in areas around Northeast Baltimore on Monday.  The tornado watch was to be in effect until 5 pm, and the NWS said that another .25 inches of rain could fall tonight, bringing the forecasted precipitation amounts to one and one-quarter inches over the next twelve hours.  A driving rain shower in the Parkville area of Maryland gave way at 10:15 am to a period of no precipitation and calm winds.  Ravens Overcome Late "Pick 6" to Down Homestanding Dolphins:  When a rejuvenated Ray Rice raced around left end to score his second TD of the game, it looked for all the world that the Ravens had put the homestanding Miami Dolphins away and secured their third victory in five NFL games this season.  Well, the Ravens did win, finally, but not before the Dolphins scored twice within two minutes in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and then missed a long field goal in the final seconds that would have tied it again.  In between those events Joe Flacco overcame his only interception of the game - a Dolphin pass rusher hit the ball as Flacco released it, and Reshad Jones picked the errant throw out of the air and returned it some 20 yards for a score, which, after a conversion kick, left the score tied at 23.  But Flacco passed to Torrey Smith during a 34 yard drive, and Justin Tucker kicked his third field goal of the game to put the Ravens back in front, 26-23.  The Dolphins fought back and moved to the Ravens 34, but a fierce Baltimore pass rush paid dividends again.   Elvis Dumerville sacked Dolphin QB Ryan Tannehill and forced Dolphin Kicker Caleb Sturgis to attempt to tie the game from 57 yards away.  It wasn't close.  Terrel Suggs had three sacks - he had earlier tied an NFL record by recording a sack in his fifth straight game - to lead a Raven defense that tallied six during the game.  After falling behind at halftime, 13-6, Baltimore ripped off 17 unanswered points to move ahead, 23-13, and forced the Dolphins to battle back from behind in the fourth quarter.  The above-described Jones interception did allow Miami, now 3-2, to tie the game, but the Ravens had plenty of time to retake the lead and win.  Although Cincinnatti and Cleveland also won, with the Bengals upending the Patriots and the Browns beating the Bills, the Ravens remain tied for the lead in the AFC North with a 3-2 record.  Baltimore was 1-1 on the current road trip, and return home next week to face Green Bay.  UMBC Rallies to top Hartford in America East opener:  The seventh ranked UMBC soccer team allowed homestanding Hartford to move ahead in the 16th minute, but the Retrievers tied the game in the first half, then moved ahead on midfielder Kadeem Dacres goal and held on to win their America East Conference opener, 2-1.  The Retrievers are 10-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the conference.  The victory came in the game after the Retrievers suffered their first loss, a 1-0 defeat in double overtime by Delaware at Retriever Soccer Park on Tuesday night.  UMBC next travels to William and Mary on Wednesday.  The Tribe is 5-3-1 and have wins over North Carolina - the Tar Heels only defeat - and Old Dominion, a team that beat Maryland at College Park.  Burnley Stops Reading, 2-1, stays in tie atop English Championship League:  Not even an own goal could stop Burnley in this magical 2013 campaign.  The Claret had built up a 2-0 advantage over a good Reading team when Jason Shackwell inadvertently tallied for the Royals, but Burnley Keeper Tom Heaton slammed the door closed after that and the Claret took three points to push their league-leading total to 26, the same as the Queens Park Rangers.  The Claret and Rangers collide head-on on October 26.  At historic Turf Moor, over 11,000 watched as Danny Ings scored his seventh goal of the season and Sam Vokes also scored as Burnley doubled the three points it picked up last midweek with a 2-0 win over Doncaster.  Much of English Soccer now heads into a brief "International Break" which allows players from all over the Island who play on the National Teams to participate without leaving their clubs shorthanded.  The Claret are off to their best start since 1961.  During that campaign Burnley finished second in the top flight before it was called the Premier League.  Were the season to end today, Burnley would return to the Premier.  The Claret return to action on October 19 at Ipswich Town.