The energy in Maryland Softball Stadium reached an all-time high as Maryland softball entered the seventh inning against Illinois on Friday night.
Well, at least on the Maryland side. There had been plenty of times when the away crowd was basking in glory, but now it was the Terps’ turn.
In a game that it dominated from start to finish, the final flyout of Maryland’s 5-1 victory jumped it two spots in the conference standings, keeping it in the hunt for the final Big Ten Tournament spot.
”We’re excited, I mean, we’ve been talking about this. We’ve been talking about continuing to keep our foot on the gas pedal and doing everything we can to find ways to win, and we really did that tonight, and I’m proud of our team for doing that,” head coach Lauren Karn said.
The Terps have now posted consecutive wins for the first time since March 1 and snapped a conference losing streak that reached 16 games.
Maryland’s small ball identity shined in the win. They capitalized on poor defense and sloppy mistakes from an Illinois defense that has struggled all season.
Maryland stuck to the gameplan they’ve lived and died by all season, and it finally paid off against the weakest conference opponent it has faced all year. Only one of Maryland’s seven hits went for extra bases, but the Terps reached base 12 times, making plays that they have missed all season to turn baserunners into runs.
The first inning was a prime example of that.
It started with a bunt from Sammi Woods, who reached base on a fielding error. After another bunt and shallow single, Zayda Rocke hit an RBI single to put Maryland on the board.
“When we get those bunts down, we put pressure on the defense. We’re able to move our runners, and then we’re able to get some of our bigger hitters to come in with runners in scoring position. Ultimately, that’s what everybody wants their lineup to be able to execute,” Karn said.
The Terps scored three more runs in the first, two of which came from Caroline Fox’s fourth double of the season, a lob of a hit that landed perfectly in between the third baseman and left fielder.
Despite a few high-pressure moments, Maryland’s defense held strong against one of the weaker offenses they have faced this season. Pitchers Caitlin Olensky and Elisea Wiegand held the Illinois lineup to a .160 average, well below their season average of .220
The fourth inning started with a home run to break the seal for Illinois. Olensky followed that up by hitting two batters, allowing a single in between.
Despite all the miscues, Maryland’s starter did well to stay under control, delivering a strikeout to escape the inning.
Olensky finished the game with four strikeouts, only allowing four hits and one run. Wiegand cleaned up after entering in the fifth inning. She did not allow a run in her three innings on the mound.
“They’re executing the way that I think they could have executed all season. It makes me proud to see that, and I know that it gives them more belief in themselves, knowing that they can do that,” Karn said.
Illinois sits only two spots above Maryland in the conference standings, and neither team is technically out of the conference tournament race. This series is the most important of the year for both teams.
Maryland needs to go undefeated in their five remaining conference games if they want to make the conference tournament, but they are off to a great start.
“We’re fighting tooth and nail to get into the tournament that we’re hosting, and we’re excited about that as well, and so to get this first win of the weekend under our belt is huge,” Karn said.
