After splitting games Friday and Saturday in the Kajikawa Classic, the Terrapins softball team lost 5-0 to Utah State on Sunday despite a strong pitching performance from Brenna Nation.
The Terps wore purple during warmups to support Nation, who lost her father to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the fall. The junior pitcher repeatedly battled out of tough jams and stranded eight baserunners in her 5.1 innings of work to keep the game close.
But in the sixth inning, Utah State strung together a series of key hits to extend its lead to 5-0 and knock Nation out of the game. Madison Martin replaced her on the mound.
Aggies star pitcher Noelle Johnson, a member of the 2015 First-Team All Mountain West team, threw a complete game shutout. Johnson struck out nine batters and allowed only five Terps to reach base in her seven innings of work.
Down five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Terps put two on with one out after singles from infielders Lindsey Schmeiser and Corey Schwartz. Infielder Hannah Dewey flew out to left and Martin grounded out, though, ending the threat.
Catcher Kristina Dillard went 2-for-3 and finished 6-for-15 with three RBIs over five games this weekend. She also picked off two baserunners in the tournament.
Outfielder Sarah Calta, meanwhile, struggled at the plate after being dropped from second to eighth in the lineup. She went 0-for-2 on Sunday and 0-for-11 for this weekend.
The Terps (2-3) failed to score more than two runs in any of their three losses in the Kajikawa Classic and leave Tempe, Arizona with a losing record.
