Maryland softball goes 1-2 against Indiana in lopsided road series

Maryland softball went 1-2 in the weekend series against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Terps won a close one but got blown out in their two losses. The combination of poor offense and too many defensive mistakes resulted in the Terrapins being outscored 21-5 in the series.

The team now holds a 19-21 record, its most wins under head coach Julie Wright, but sits at 3-9 in Big Ten play.

Game summaries

Friday: Maryland 0, Indiana 8 (5 innings)

The Terps’ offense struggled to get anything going against Indiana pitcher Tara Trainer. The senior tossed four innings, allowing just five hits and racking up six strikeouts.

In the field for Maryland, errors sparked multiple big innings for the Hoosiers. The first batter of the game reached on a fielding error and Indiana capitalized. With runners on second and third, sophomore Maddie Westmoreland cleared the bases with a single into right field.

In the second inning, Indiana got a couple runners on due to another error and a walk. With the bases loaded, sophomore Grayson Radcliffe knocked a bases-clearing double to put the Hoosiers up 5-0.

Senior Sydney Golden was in the circle for Maryland and her outing was hurt by the defensive errors. During the righty’s four innings pitched, the Hoosiers tallied six hits and six runs, but only one run was earned.

On offense, the Terrapins recorded just five hits but also left eight runners on base throughout the game. One of the bright spots was Taylor Wilson, who picked up where she left off from last weekend. The sophomore was the only Terp with multiple hits, as she went 2-for-2 with a double.

In the fifth, junior Kiana Carr came in to pitch and walked the first three batters she saw. The Hoosiers then scored the necessary two runs to shorten the game and secure the series opener.

Saturday: Maryland 4, Indiana 3

In the first inning, the Terps put together a two-out rally. With sophomore JoJo McRae on second, sophomore Sammie Stefan hit an RBI single up the middle for the first run of the game. After a walk and a single, the bases were loaded for Wilson. On a 2-2 count, Wilson singled into center field, allowing two runs to come in and extending the Terps’ lead to 3-0.

Indiana answered back in the bottom of the frame with one run of its own from an RBI single off the bat of junior Katie Lacefield. A few innings later, Maryland led 3-1 when Stefan came up to the plate. The sophomore belted the first pitch she saw over the center field wall to extend the Terps’ lead to three.

Redshirt freshman Victoria Galvan started for Maryland. The righty had a great outing, as she tossed four innings and surrendered just three runs on four hits. Galvan got into some trouble in the fourth but was able to limit the damage to just two runs.In the fifth inning, senior Sami Main came in to relieve Galvan. Main had a runner on third with one out but was able to force two straight outs to get of the jam and preserve the Terps’ 4-3 lead.

In the seventh inning, the Hoosiers had one on when Westmoreland hit a double into the left-center gap. Redshirt sophomore Micaela Abbatine fielded it quickly and make a good relay throw to junior Anna Kufta. The shortstop fired the throw to home and was able to cut down the would-be tying run.

After the key play at the plate, Main was able to get the final out. The veteran pitched a great game in relief as she threw three scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, to secure the 4-3 win.

Saturday: Maryland 1, Indiana 10 (5 innings)

The rubber match was a lot like the first game of the series. Both teams started the same pitchers and it was a similar outcome.

The Terps’ offense had a tough time hitting Trainer in the series finale, as they only recorded 4 hits. Trainer tossed four innings, while only allowing one hit and picking up two strikeouts. Golden only threw 2 ⅓ innings allowing four hits and five total runs, which only two of them were allowed. The senior was relieved by Main, who pitched one inning, allowing five runs on four hits.

In the first inning, Radcliffe knocked a two-run homer to jump Indiana out to an early lead. The Hoosiers added another run in the second and then tacked on two more insurance runs in the third. In the third frame, a couple of walks and an error allowed for Indiana to keep the inning going, and the Hoosiers ultimately took a 5-0 lead.

In the following frame, the Hoosiers poured on the insurance runs. Indiana recorded five runs on three hits and a couple of walks. The big hit came off the bat of sophomore Annika Baez, who roped a two-run double.

In the fifth inning, the Terps loaded the bases and were able to plate their first run on a sac fly by sophomore Shelby Younkin. However, this was the only run they would get, resulting in another shortened game.

At the plate

It was a rough offensive weekend for Maryland. The Terps couldn’t get anything going against a skilled pitching staff, and they were outscored 21-5. Maryland’s offense mainly came from two sophomores: Stefan and Wilson. Wilson continued her hot streak at the plate, going 5-for-8 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Stefan recorded two RBIs including her team-high seventh home run of the year.

In the circle

The Terps’ ace, Golden, lost both of her starts this weekend, but she didn’t get too much help from her defense. The senior only tossed 6 ⅓ innings through two games, while surrendering 11 runs. However, only three of those runs were earned as a result of too many defensive miscues. One positive came from Galvan, who had a great start in the lone victory. The redshirt freshman threw four innings in the first game Saturday, allowing just three runs on four hits.

On deck

Maryland will be back home next weekend as the Terps take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State currently hold a 20-22 record (4-8 Big Ten). The series starts Friday at 6 p.m. ET.