By Justin Fitzgerald
It was a brutal weekend for Maryland Softball. The Terps were swept by Ohio State, losing 12-2, 4-3, and 13-4.
Maryland pitcher Hannah Dewey struggled from the beginning on Friday, walking seven batters in one plus innings of work. She failed to get out of the second inning, allowing a single and then three straight walks before being replaced by Brenna Nation. Nation didn’t fare any better, as she gave up a two run single to Erika Leonard in the second and a three run homerun to Alex Bayne. Bayne hit another three run homerun off Ari Jarvis in the fifth, giving Ohio State a 12-2 lead and the win.
Maryland struggled against Ohio State’s Shelby Hursh, managing just two runs on two hits. Hursh gave the Terps plenty of opportunities by walking seven, but they stranded seven runners.
Saturday’s game was more competitive, but it ended in heartbreak for the Terps. After failing to score in the top of the first, Bayne homered again for the third time in the series to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. But Ohio State did not get a hit off Madison Martin for the next five innings, and the Terps tied it in the fifth.
Hursh came in for the Buckeyes in the seventh inning, and it looked she was going to shut down the Terps again after she retired the first two batters. But Skylynne Ellazar singled and then Sarah Calta tripled to give Maryland a 3-2 lead.
But the lead did not last long. Martin walked Taylor White to start the inning, and after a sacrifice bunt from Bri Betschel, Maddy McIntyre hit a walkoff homerun to give the Buckeyes a 4-3 win.
Sunday was similar to Friday, as Ohio State jumped on the Terps early. Nation gave up three runs in the first, but Maryland scored in the second to cut the lead to 3-1.
But the pitching for Maryland fell apart in the third inning, as the Buckeyes scored eight runs. The game was basically over from that point, and Ericka Leonard ended it in the with a two run homerun, her second of the day, to give Ohio State a 13-4 win.
Maryland drops to 7-23, and 0-3 in the Big Ten. The Terps play again on Friday in College Park against No.23 Nebraska.
