By Eddie Hobbs
Maryland Softball traveled to California this weekend for the Highlander Classic. The Terps took on UT Martin, Iona, UC Riverside, and Weber State. On Friday, the Terps started out hot against UT Martin gaining an early 2-0 advantage from the bats of Anna Kufta and Skylynne Ellazar. Madison Martin’s pitching waivered in the second frame and UT Martin took the lead 3-2 in the inning and never looked back. Errors would doom the Terps in the bottom of the fourth inning as UT Martin would score three runs on two errors to extend their lead to 6-2.
It looked like Maryland would fight their way back into the game in the top of the fifth. Hannah Dewey and Destiney Henderson were able to get on base, setting up Anna Kufta to drive them in. That was until UT Martin’s second baseman Savannah Dodson made a nice grab from a line drive shot from Kufta. The Terps weren’t able to get much going after the fifth and lost 8-2.
In a quick turnaround, Maryland faced Iona 30 minutes after losing to UT Martin. Iona jumped out to an early 2-0 lead from Kristen Turner’s home run off of Maryland’s Hannah Dewey, with Katie Newton on base. Iona would score five runs in the third inning, to increase their lead to 7-0.
Maryland answered and were threatening as they were able to get the bases loaded for Anna Kufta in the top of the third with one out. Kufta walked to bring in a run, but that was all the Terps were able to salvage in the inning. In the fourth inning with the bases loaded, and with one out yet again, Maryland’s Amanda Brashear came up to the plate and got a SAC fly to bring the score to 7-2. Destiney Henderson popped up to Iona’s shortstop, and the Terps left two stranded on base.
Maryland wouldn’t go away easily, Skylynne Ellazar and Kristina Dillard both hit doubles in the seventh and put two on the board. It was all the Terps could muster in the inning, and ended up dropping the contest to Iona 8-4.
On Saturday the Terps took care of business against UC Riverside behind strong pitching by Madison Martin. Martin pitched for six innings and allowed two runs; Hannah Dewey relieved Martin in the seventh to close out the game.
The Terps were hitting on all cylinders in the first three innings; Kristina Dillard doubled down the line in the first to score Anna Kufta and Destiney Henderson to gain the early 2-0 lead. The third inning is where the Terps busted the game wide open. After Anna Kufta flied out, Maryland got three singles to load the bases; Kassidy Cross walked to bring the lead to 3-0. An RBI from Madison Martin and a single from Amanda Brashear brought the lead to 5-0 by the end of the third.
UC Riverside was aggressive in the bottom of the fifth and scored three runs to cut the lead to 6-3, but the Terps wouldn’t fold. Maryland was able to close out the game with a strong seventh from Hannah Dewey, who allowed only one hit in the inning to help Maryland gain their first win in the Highlander Classic by the score 6-3.
The final game on Sunday against Weber State provided to be too much for Maryland. The game was somewhat quiet throughout the first frame, but in the second and the third innings Weber State compiled five hits, one including a home run from KyRae Kogianes to push the lead to 4-0.
Maryland pitchers Hannah Dewey and Madison Martin struggled to stop Weber State from stringing together hits throughout the contest. The Terps were able to get a few runs in the sixth and seventh innings thanks to Skylynne Ellazar and Brigette Nordberg. Sadly, it would be the only scoring efforts from Maryland in this one as they fall to Weber State 6-2.
The Terps will host Maryland Invitational next weekend and will look to get things going, they will start by facing off against Buffalo at 4:30 on Friday.
