The Maryland softball team celebrated Senior Day on Sunday afternoon against Indiana by painting No. 88 and No. 10 in white on the outfield grass to honor infielders Lindsey Schmeiser and Corey Schwartz’ final game in a Terps uniform.
The veterans showed their emotions throughout the contest. When Schmeiser hit an RBI double during a six-run second inning, she pumped her fists in the direction of the dugout.
Using an offensive attack that had been stymied in recent weeks, the Terps sent their two seniors out with a 10-8 win over the Hoosiers to end the team’s 13-game losing skid.
After pitcher Brenna Nation held Indiana scoreless through the first two frames, Maryland’s offense came to life, scoring six runs and smashing four RBI doubles in the bottom of the second.
But Nation failed to notch a shutdown frame in the top of the third, as the Hoosiers responded to the Terps’ burst with their own rally, taking advantage of a two-out error at third by infielder Skylynne Ellazar.
Indiana scored five runs (four of which were unearned) in the frame to cut the score to 6-5. One inning later, they tied the game on an RBI single from Shannon Cawley.
In the fifth, however, the Terps regained momentum after nearly squandering a bases-loaded, no-out situation. Outfielders Destiney Henderson and Kylie Datil and Schwartz led off the inning with two singles and a walk.
Though utility player Hannah Dewey and Schmeiser went down in order to put the threat in jeopardy, Ellazar crushed a grand slam off the scoreboard in center field with two outs.
As she rounded third base during her home run trot, she smiled and started yelling to the collection of Terps waiting to celebrate with her at home. And when she arrived at the plate, she jumped on the dish and her teammates mobbed her.
The blast pushed Maryland’s total to 10 runs. The team hadn’t reached double-digit scoring since beating San Diego, 13-9, on Feb. 13.
While Nation gave up a pair of runs in the seventh, she finished the complete game and earned her sixth win of the season.
