By Dominic Gugliotta
The Maryland Terrapins softball team came into Easter Sunday looking to add to its four-game winning streak and sweep its Big 10 conference foe in the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Terps were able to finish off the Hawkeyes with an outstanding pitching performance from junior pitcher Sydney Golden and win the final game of the three-game set 1-0. The sweep was the first for Maryland in the Big Ten since 2015.
Golden received her eighth win of the season as she threw a complete game four-hitter in the Terps 1-0 win. Golden was dialed in throughout the contest only giving up one extra-base hit throughout her entire seven innings of work. Head coach Julie Wright was very pleased with the way that her junior ace played Sunday afternoon.
“[Sydney] just wears you out,” she said. “She uses her defense well and I am super proud of her. She has been performing really well. Such an even demeanor out there. She’s got a good presence, I like it.”
The Hawkeyes produced their biggest scoring chance in the top of the second inning when Taylor Libby and Aralee Bogar singled with one out. Angela Schmiederer then hit a soft ground ball to second that was able load the bases. With the bases loaded and one out, the Terps defense made a momentum-swinging play. Daniella Ibarra hit a hard ground ball right to third baseman Brigette Nordberg who fired it home to get the lead runner. Catcher Anna Kufta then threw a bullet back to first baseman Jacqui Pascual to complete the double play and get out of the inning.
The deciding run of the afternoon came off the explosive bat of Sky Ellazar. Ellazar hammered a fastball over the center field wall off Hawkeyes pitcher Allison Doocy. Ellazar’s fourth home run of the ended up being the deciding run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.
“We’ve been having really good, intense, pressure practices,” Ellazar said. “Again, that is helping transit onto the field making it easier for us in those pressure situations to just get it done.”
The Terps (15-20) will shift their attention to the Illinois Fighting Illini as they face the (22-13) club on Friday in Champaign, IL.
