The Maryland softball team lost to No. 16 Minnesota and Colorado State on the first day of their season-opening Texas Invitational tournament. The Terps almost came back to upset the Golden Gophers, but fell, 3-2, on a walk-off RBI single. Maryland could not repeat the same performance against the Rams in a 14-5 defeat.
Freshman outfielder Amanda Brashear went 3-for-3 at the plate against Minnesota, while junior infielder Skylynne Ellazar and freshman infielder Anna Kufta each logged two hits. Catcher Kristina Dillard had two hits, a run and an RBI as Maryland outhit the Golden Gophers 10-7 in the game.
Maryland tied Minnesota in the sixth inning. Kufta started off the inning with her first career hit, a double into the right-center gap. Dillard knocked in the freshman on the next at-bat to cut the deficit to 2-1. Then, redshirt senior pinch hitter Madison Martin drove Dillard in to tie the game.
Senior Ari Jarvis pitched her way out of danger in the bottom half of the inning after Minnesota loaded the bases with one out. The sophomore pitcher had two strikeouts and a fly out to keep the game tied.
The Terps threatened again in the top of the seventh inning but could not get a run across to take the late lead. Senior pitcher Hannah Dewey reached first on an error, but freshman outfielder Kassidy Cross hit into a fielder’s choice to nab Dewey at second.
Ellazar and Kufta followed with two singles to load the bases with one out, but Minnesota pitcher Amber Fiser worked Dillard to hit a groundball back to the mound, forcing Cross out at the plate. Then, Fiser struck out Strange to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Gophers won it on infielder MaKenna Partain’s walk-off single.
Against Colorado State, pitcher Lauren Graves struggled in her first career start. After a leadoff double, the freshman walked the next two batters before Rams outfielder Lauren Buchanan hit a grand for a 4-0 lead. Jarvis took over in the circle after Graves gave up another walk.
The Rams added another run in the first, leading, 5-0, on two hits. Between Graves and Jarvis, the Terps gave up six walks.
Kufta and Brashear combined to pull Maryland back into the game. Brashear continued her quick start to the season with a triple and Kufta hit a home run to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Colorado State displayed its power in the third inning hitting against Jarvis and Martin. Catcher Amber Nelson hit a three-run shot, and infielder Hannah McCorkhill hit a two-run homer for the Rams, pushing the game out of reach at 11-3.
Kufta, Dillard and outfielder Sarah Calta each had two hits against Colorado State, but they couldn’t help Maryland threaten the Rams’ lead in the latter frames. The Terps return to the field Saturday for a rematch with Colorado State and a nightcap with Texas.
