By Justin Fitzgerald
After last night’s series opener against Indiana got rained out, Maryland softball had to make up the game today as part of a doubleheader. The Terps lost both, falling to Indiana 8-3 and 12-1.
Maryland dropped to 11-40 and 3-19 in the Big Ten, while Indiana improved to 28-23 and 10-12.
Maryland trailed from the beginning of game one, as Indiana scored three runs in the top of the first. Brenna Nation retired the first two batters she faced, but gave up a single to Shannon Cawley and walked CaraMia Tsirigos and Michelle Huber. With the bases loaded, Kelsey Dotson singled to score Cawley and Taylor Uden hit a two run single to give the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead.
Indiana added two in the fourth on a two run double from Erin Lehman, but Maryland answered back with one in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Aughinbaugh walked with the bases loaded and one out, but the possible big inning ended after Corey Schwartz and Hannah Dewey lined out.
Maryland added a run in the sixth on an RBI single from Aughinbaugh, but Indiana responded back in the top of the seventh with three run to put the game out of reach. Maryland scored one in the bottom of the inning but it didn’t matter as they lost 8-3.
Brenna Nation pitched almost the whole game for Maryland. She was taken out in the sixth and replaced by Madison Martin, who pitched to one batter before leaving after suffering an injury to her right foot.
The second game didn’t go any better, as Maryland got run ruled 12-1 in five innings. Just like the first game, the Terps came to bat behind in the bottom of the first. Rebecca Blitz singled to lead off the game for the Hoosiers, but Hannah Dewey retired the next two batters. But Dewey struggled to get the final out, as Cawley reached on error by third baseman Skylynne Ellazar and Tsirigos singled. Dewey then walked back to back batters and gave up a bases clearing double to Uden, and Indiana had a 4-0 lead.
Indiana got to Dewey again in the third, as Huber hit a three run homerun to extend the Hoosiers lead to 7-0. Dewey exited in the fourth after giving up a single and walk to start the inning.
Ari Jarvis came in to replace Dewey, but it didn’t get any better. Her first pitch was a wild pitch that allowed Blitz to move to third, and then she scored on a sacrifice fly. Then Huber hit a three run homerun, her second of the game, and Jarvis walked the next two batters before leaving with the Terps trailing 11-1.
Nation came in to finish the game and gave up one run in the fifth. Maryland got their only run in the third when Ellazar scored on a Kristina Dillard single.
The teams wrap up the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. It will also be Maryland’s last game of the season, as they did not qualify for the Big Ten tournament. Seniors Lindsey Schmeiser and Corey Schwartz will be honored before tomorrow’s game, and the team will be trying to send them off on a high note.
“They’ve gone through so much the past couple years, and I know it would mean the world to them to win tomorrow,” Ellazar said following the doubleheader.
