Before the seventh inning of the first game of Maryland softball’s Tuesday doubleheader against Rutgers, starter Ryan Denhart faced few problems. The Terps led, 5-2, and Denhart had retired nine batters in a row.
Five batters later, Denhart left the game with the tying run on first base, after a single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs. Sydney Golden came on in relief and walked in a run before striking out the next batter to secure a 5-3 Maryland win and her first-ever save with the Terps.
“When Ryan gets a little bit tired, she might but a ball in a place where they can drive it,” coach Julie Wright said. “We knew Sydney might walk that kid, which was fine with us because she’s a good hitter. She gets a couple pitches under her belt and goes and attacks that next hitter.”
While Golden struggled in game two, a six-run rally in the sixth powered an 8-7 victory.
Maryland relied on the heart of its order for production. Catcher Anna Kufta, infielder Brigette Nordberg and infielder Jacqui Pascual — batting fourth through sixth — combined to go 6-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored in game one.
Already up 3-2 in the fifth inning, Maryland added two runs when Kufta scored from third and Nordberg scored from second on a seemingly routine fielder’s choice to the second baseman.
Game two began as a pitcher’s duel between Golden and Rutgers hurler Cambria Keefer. The game was tied 1-1 until the fifth, when an RBI double by third baseman Meghan Wells put Rutgers in front.
Maryland ran itself out of a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Center fielder Kassidy Cross tried to go first-to-third on a sacrifice bunt but was thrown out.
“I held her up,” Wright said, “but she made a decision to be aggressive there. Earlier in the game that’s not a bad play, but at that point, where we’re struggling, that’s a time to maybe be more conservative and still be in scoring position with one out.”
Golden allowed three consecutive hits to load the bases in the sixth inning. She induced a fielder’s choice to keep the score at 2-1 but walked the next batter to force in a run and was pulled for Sami Main. Main allowed three inherited runs to score and one of her own to make the score 7-1.
However, the Terps stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. The inning started back-to-back homers by infielder Skylynne Ellazar and Kufta. Shortstop Mikayla Werahiko drove in another run with an RBI double. A three-run home run by left fielder Amanda Brashear tied the game.
“It was just a fight,” Brashear said, “at that point we have nothing to lose so we thought we should just go for it.”
Maryland completed the comeback in the seventh with a walk-off single by Pascual with one out.
“Once Sky hit that homer, that opened it up for all of us,” Pascual said, “We already knew we could do it against Rutgers, and having everyone in it helping us win was really amazing.”
