Maryland softball trailed Wisconsin with one last chance to keep the game alive. 

The Terps proceeded to score two runs to take the lead, but it wasn’t enough. 

After a weird sequence of events, the Badgers mustered two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off the Terps, 6-5. 

The two teams fought until the very end, with the lead changing hands four times, including in the seventh inning. 

After Maryland took the lead at the top of the seventh, Wisconsin struck back by putting two runners on base to start the bottom of the inning. 

A double from Hilary Blomberg should have tied the game, but poor base-running decisions meant that the lead runner was tagged out before crossing home. 

In an unexpected decision, the tag was ruled as an obstruction, and Wisconsin tied the game. They would win the game on a groundout after Mariah Penta chose to tag first instead of playing for the out at home.

Maryland’s offense came into the game streaky, but opened the scoring at the top of the first inning, scoring one run off the bat of Matti Benson. The Terps proceeded to go three straight innings without scoring before they strung together three straight hits, plus a sac fly, scoring two runs in the fifth inning. 

Caitlin Olensky, who started for Maryland on Friday, has been fantastic in the early parts of games lately. In her previous three starts, she allowed only one run in the first four innings of each game. She struck out eight batters in that span. 

However, once Olensky loses command, the opponents take over. In her two appearances against Indiana, Olensky gave up six runs in the fifth inning alone.

This game continued the trend, albeit earlier, as Olensky delivered two innings of solid pitching before giving up a walk, a single, and a three-run homer to Blomberg in the third inning. 

Blomberg went 4-for-4 in the game, scoring three RBIs for Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin’s pitcher, Shelby Jacobson, pitched a complete game for the Badgers. She ended the game throwing 132 pitches, delivering four strikeouts. 

Although Maryland began to figure Jacobson out as the game progressed, she did what she needed to do to secure the victory. 

Sammi Woods returned to the lineup, and after missing the series against Indiana, she was productive, going 1-for-2, securing an RBI, a run and two walks. 

Olensky gave up another home run in the fourth after pitching what looked like a solid bounce-back inning. Maryland’s questionable pitching decisions continued from the previous series. It continued to leave Olensky in the game after she began to falter. 

Mariah Penta continued her flaming hot streak from last weekend, going 2-for-3 and scoring two RBIs. She batted in the tying run in the seventh inning.

Coming into the game, Penta led the Terps in batting average, posting a .345 average. The next best on the team is Anna McGowan, who averages .267 on the season. 

The Terps’ reserve pitching has been a problem, putting Maryland’s pitching coaches in a tough spot. In the Indiana series, reserve pitchers gave up 11 runs over the three-game span. 

Benson put together a quality performance against the Badgers. After going 2-for-2 in Maryland’s final game against Indiana, Benson delivered an RBI for the Terps in a 2-for-3 outing. 

Maryland is now 3-4 on the season in one-run games, and 1-2 in such games in the Big Ten. An after