The Maryland softball team lost both games on the second day of the Mardi Gras Classic, falling 4-2 to Bradley and 3-0 to No. 16 Louisiana Lafayette.
The Terps extended its Big Ten leading error count in its loss to Bradley. Five defensive mishaps plagued the Terps (2-11), who now have 23 on the season. Bradley also had 11 hits in a 4-2 win.
Bradley (7-6) put pitcher Ari Jarvis and the Terps under pressure in the first three innings. The sophomore pitcher gave up eight hits and three earned runs in 4.2 innings, while striking out eight.
Bradley manufactured a first-inning run and had the bases loaded in the second before Jarvis struck out catcher Maria Schroeder in 10-pitch at-bat.
A leadoff double in the third resulted in a 2-0 lead after infielder Megan Mahaffy hit an RBI single. Two strikeouts and a runner caught stealing ended the threat.
Infielder Juli Strange hit her second single of the game in the fourth inning, the redshirt senior’s third multi-hit game of the series, before stealing second. Infielder Jordan Aughinbaugh scored Strange with a RBI single to cut into Bradley’s lead, 2-1.
But the next inning, Maryland’s third error of the game let outfielder Kelly Kapp advance to third after her bunt single. Schroeder drove her in for a 3-1 lead. The Braves went on to load the bases with two outs, and coach Julie Wright swapped Jarvis for Dewey in the circle. Dewey allowed one more run before forcing a pop out to end the inning.
Bradley stranded 10 runners on base against Maryland, including another bases-loaded situation in thesixth inning. Dewey pitched out of it with a strikeout and a groundout. The Braves hit 5-for- 17 with runners in scoring position.
Maryland’s fortunes were not much better. Aughinbaugh drove Strange in for her second RBI single in the sixth inning before the Terps went on to have bases loaded and no outs. But a fielder’s choice and two popups ended the frame.
Strange led the Terps with a 3-for-4 performance and scored both Maryland runs, while Aughinbaugh added two RBI-singles.
Maryland struggled to even get on base against Louisiana-Lafayette (10-3). Squaring off against freshman pitcher Alyssa Denham, the reigning USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week, the Terps had three hits in the 3-0 loss.
Louisiana-Lafayette loaded the bases in the third inning but only scored one run. A single and a hit by pitch knocked pitcher Madison Martin out of the game for Jarvis, but she walked her first batter before a sacrifice fly scored infielder Daniella Chavez.
Dewey led off the third inning for the Terps with her first hit of the season, a double into deep left-center field. But after advancing to third, outfielder Destiny Henderson’s failed bunt resulted in the an inning ending double play in which Louisiana-Lafayette picked Dewey off third.
Maryland used four different pitchers in the loss, and gave up only two earned runs on seven hits and six walks.
The Ragin’ Cajuns added two more runs in the fourth inning to push the lead to 3-0, and Denham finished off the complete-game shutout with only 64 pitches, 46 of which were strikes. Maryland four hurlers combined to throw 145 pitches.
The Terps finish off the Mardi Gras Classic on Sunday against Dartmouth.
