By Jack Susanin
Maryland’s bats were quiet for most of their midweek showdown against Virginia. However, a monumental two-run homer from Sydney Lewis propelled the Terps to a 2-1 win over the Cavaliers.
The Terps looked to make it back-to-back wins against former ACC foes after beating Boston College in the second leg of a doubleheader on Friday. However, the Cavaliers got the scoring started with a Bella Cabral RBI single in the third inning off Maryland starter Bri Godfrey.
That was all Godfrey would allow as she was relieved by Courtney Wyche after four innings of one-run ball.
Megan Mikiami provided offense for the Terps early with hits in her first two at-bats but was stranded in scoring position both times.
Courtney Layne dazzled in the circle for Virginia, only letting up the two hits to Mikami and not allowing a run in three innings of work. She was relieved by Madison Harris, who figured to continue Virginia’s strong work from the circle. Harris entered the game with the third-best ERA in the country.(0.31)
Sydney Lewis had plans to change that. Lewis crushed a go-ahead two run bomb in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 2-1.
“We don’t worry about the stats. We just play the game that we’re in.” Coach Lauren Karn said.
Lewis said she did not even know that Harris had such an incredible stat line. “Something I was doing a lot during the beginning of the season was over-analyzing and I have ‘just swing’ written on my bat.”
Eden Bigham relieved Harris after a Mazie MacFarlane walk and Sammi Woods chased Harris out of the game following Lewis’ homer. Bigham then escaped from a bases-loaded jam after walking Delaney Reefe and striking out Hannah Runk.
Even with a runner on second in the top of the seventh, Wyche managed to slam the door on the Cavaliers and preserve the victory for the Terps.
Maryland moves to 9-13 on the season before the Maryland tournament this weekend against Purdue Fort Wayne, Bryant, Fairfield, and Lafayette.
“I just hope our team can continue to believe,” Karn said. The Terps will have to continue believing with Big Ten play starting in ten days.
