Maryland softball coach Julie Wright has said the team plays at its best against tough opposition.
Earlier in the season, the Terps beat an undefeated Florida Atlantic squad and almost took down then-No. 5 Alabama and then-No. 6 Oregon.
But in its toughest test yet — a three game weekend series against No. 2 Michigan — Maryland was overmatched. The team was swept and lost every game via run rule, including a 16-0 Saturday defeat. Infielder Corey Schwartz was satisfied with the effort level the Terps demonstrated, but thought a better squad bested them this weekend.
“They’re a really competitive team. I mean they’re ranked No. 2 in the nation,” Schwartz said. “We’re a little upset that we didn’t get the wins, but we gave it our all.”
Coach Julie Wright agreed that the Terps displayed high energy on Friday and Sunday, but she was unhappy with their display in Saturday’s 16-0 drubbing.
She was particularly bothered with the team’s sloppy defensive mistakes, which put more pressure on Maryland’s pitching staff. The Terps made three errors in Saturday’s blowout defeat.
A two-out error from infielder Jordan Aughinbaugh in the second inning proved especially costly, keeping a Wolverines rally alive. They went on to score seven runs in the frame to take a 9-0 lead.
“We talk all the time to them about the little things,” Wright said. “When you have little lapses like that on defense against a quality offense, they’re going to make you pay.”
Schwartz added, “When you’re playing teams in the top ten, you have to play a clean softball game to stay in it.”
Aside from the defensive mistakes, the pitching staff still faced an uphill battle. The Wolverines entered the weekend with the top offense in the Big Ten, leading the conference in batting average and home runs. The Terps, meanwhile, brought in the Big Ten’s worst team ERA.
That combination spelled trouble for Maryland in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the Wolverines scored 33 runs in the series.
Pitcher Brenna Nation was hit hard during her start in the circle Friday, giving up nine earned runs in a 9-1 loss. The team then gave up 16 more runs on 13 hits Saturday.
Nation felt better about her Sunday performance, however, because she came out with a more aggressive approach. She threw 3.2 innings and conceded three earned runs in that contest.
“I pitched more my way. I attacked them instead of trying to not let them hit the ball. I just went at them and I think that helped me a lot,” Nation said. “You can’t be scared going into it.”
But a subpar relief outing from pitcher Madison Martin, who gave up four runs in 1.1 innings, along with zero run support contributed to Maryland’s third straight run rule defeat.
A lack of runs also plagued the Terps throughout the weekend, as they scored once in their three losses. Michigan pitcher Megan Betsa, who holds the team’s best ERA, allowed two hits over 12 innings in her two weekend starts.
Wright was disappointed her players were unable to learn from their mistakes against Betsa. It was one of many issues the Terps dealt with in their three consecutive blowout losses.
“The Michigan pitching staff is good, but we made them really, really good,” Wright said.
