Terrapins softball pitcher Brenna Nation entered Saturday morning with a 6.78 ERA, but she pitched like an ace in an 8-0 win over Saint Louis.
She threw the program’s first no-hitter since March 2013 and earned her second victory of the season.
The Terps (7-16) backed Nation with eight runs despite the continued absence of infielder Lindsey Schmeiser — the program’s all-time home run leader — due to a back injury.
Infielder Emily Libero put the Terps up 5-0 in the second inning with a grand slam to left field. The blast was her second of the Oklahoma Invitational.
In the third, catcher Kristina Dillard launched a two-run home run to give the Terps a 7-0 lead. Utility player Hannah Dewey, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, added an eighth run with an RBI single.
Nation finished her no-hitter by inducing three groundouts in the fifth, and the Terps won via the run rule. The contact pitcher got 10 groundouts in her five innings of work compared to three fly outs.
Against No. 13 Oklahoma (16-4), the Terps failed to replicate their morning success. They lost 11-2, though they kept things close until the end of the contest.
Oklahoma scored twice in the first inning off Dewey to take an early lead.
The Terps threatened in the fourth, loading the bases on three walks, but Libero flied out to end the inning.
One frame later, though, the Terps capitalized on an opportunity at the plate. After outfielder Sarah Calta slapped an opposite field triple down the left field line, Dewey tied the score 2-2 with a two-run home run.
Oklahoma outfielder Fale Aviu hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead. The blast came off Nation, who entered earlier in the inning as a reliever.
Dewey reentered the pitching circle in the sixth but struggled to handle the Oklahoma bats during her second appearance of the game. The Sooners scored six runs, capped by another Aviu blast, to finish off the Terps.
The Terps face the Sooners again tomorrow in the final game of the tournament.
