After two line drives to the center field wall from Maryland softball utility player Hannah Dewey and infielder Lindsey Schmeiser were caught on the run by Indiana outfielder Rebecca Blitz, coach Julie Wright nodded and clapped her hands, encouraging the pair for hitting the ball hard.
But later in Game 1 of the Terps’ doubleheader with the Hoosiers, when infielder Jordan Aughinbaugh lined a ball just foul down the right field line with the bases loaded, Wright put her hands on her knees and dropped her head.
Her frustration mounted as Maryland was overwhelmed in an 8-3 Game 1 defeat that extended her team’s losing skid to 12 games. The Terps’ struggles continued in Game 2, as an early offensive outburst from the Hoosiers helped them earn a 12-1 win via run rule.
Pitcher Brenna Nation was tagged for three runs on back-to-back RBI singles in the first inning of Game 1. Though she settled in afterward, holding Indiana scoreless in the second and third frames, the initial damage put the Terps in a hole they could not overcome.
Hoosiers starting pitcher Tara Trainer didn’t allow a run through the first three innings, giving up just two hits in that span.
By the time the Terps finally got on the board in the fourth on an RBI walk by infielder Aughinbaugh, they trailed 5-1.
Aughinbaugh was a bright spot for a faltering offense, going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs between the two Saturday contests. Catcher Kristina Dillard also performed well, notching three hits.
Their contributions weren’t enough, however, as three Hoosiers runs in the top of the seventh put the first game of the day out of reach.
Similar to like what happened in Game 1, the second contest began with Maryland falling behind in the first frame. Dewey, starting in the circle, gave up a three-run double with two outs in the inning. At the end of the first, the Terps were ahead, 4-0.
Her struggles continued in the third inning. After letting the first two hitters of the frame reach safely via a walk and a single, she served up a three-run blast to right field.
Things spiraled further out of control for the Terps one inning later to set up a run-rule defeat. The Hoosiers scored four times in the inning – highlighted by another three-run home run – to take an 11-1 lead.
