Maryland softball dropped both games of its doubleheader to Northwestern on Saturday, falling 11-4 and 6-5. The Terps outhit the Wildcats in both outings but fell behind in the first inning of each game to remain winless in Big Ten play.
Maryland (7-28-1, 0-8 Big Ten) notched 11 hits in game one. Infielder Anna Kufta led the way with four hits.
They jumped to a lead in the first inning, taking advantage of three Northwestern errors. But the Wildcats (15-19, 3-5) proceeded to put up six runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 6-3 lead.
In the Terps’ half of the first, infielder Juli Strange reached base after being hit by a pitch, and Kufta batted her in for the first run. Then, infielder Skylynne Ellazar and outfielder Amanda Brashear scored on a throwing error before Kufta came home on another miscue.
But pitcher Madison Martin struggled with control, giving up four walks in the opening frame. The redshirt senior needed 47 pitches to get out of the six-run inning. Infielder Brooke Marquez tied the game at three with a triple, while outfielder Sabrina Rabin’s two-run single made the score, 6-3.
Martin made way for pitcher Lauren Graves. The freshman allowed five runs through 3.1 innings, but her work kept pitcher Hannah Dewey fresh to start the second contest. Dewey pitched a complete game in the 6-5 loss to follow.
Outfielder Anna Petersen put the Wildcats ahead in the second game with a three-run home run in the first inning. Rabin reached safely on an error to lead off the game, and outfielder Krista Williams singled before Petersen’s fifth long ball of the season.
The Terps were held hitless against pitcher Nicole Bond until Kufta launched a homer to lead off the fourth inning. It was the freshman’s fourth long ball of the season, but her first since Feb. 17.
The next four batters all reached safely to tie the game at three before a strikeout, fielder’s choice and foul out ended the threat.
But the Wildcats immediately jumped back in front with a three-run fourth inning, Rabin’s two-RBI double the biggest hit of the frame.
Maryland responded with runs in the fifth and sixth. But in the sixth, the Terps stranded the bases loaded with back-to-back strikeouts from Kufta and catcher Kristina Dillard. It was Dillard’s fifth strikeout between both games.
