Maryland softball has established a solid one-two pitching combination with Ryan Denhart and Sydney Golden. Their efforts have helped the staff to a respectable 3.36 ERA.

Still, the Terps are 7-17 and on pace for their third straight losing season.

Maryland has scored 52 runs in 24 games this season, the second-worst per-game output in the Big Ten.

Much of the problem stems from Maryland’s lack of offensive depth. Infielders Skylynne Ellazar and Brigette Nordberg are the only players batting over .250. The two are also the only players with more than 20 hits.

Perhaps the Terps’ biggest issue, however, is their lack of timely hitting. The squad has scuffled throughout the season with runners in scoring position.

“We’re trying to build little by little,” coach Julie Wright said. “We’re trying to get better every day and stop taking so many steps backwards.”

Last weekend in Louisville, outfielder Amanda Brashear picked up eight hits in 16 at-bats, showing flashes of her form from last season when she led the team with a .304 batting average. But in this weekend’s Maryland Invitational, she took a step back, going 2-for-13.

Wright feels that the Terps’ issues in the clutch — from Brashear and others — do not stem from a lack of talent or mechanical issue, but from inexperience.

“The more reps we have in those moments, the better we are going to be,” Wright said. “The one thing about the process of a young team is you can’t cheat it. No matter how much you want to speed it up, it’s going to be their process.”

The players have absorbed their coach’s message and are working to create, sustain and finish rallies.

“We’re working on passing the bat as a team and getting the runner on and being able to execute in the situation,” Nordberg said. “I have no doubt we’ll be able to pull that out soon because we’re almost there, we’re a hit away.”

Maryland has also experienced some issues battling in at-bats and working pitchers. The Terps have just 56 walks on the season, and Ellazar is the only player with 10 or more.

During the Florida Tournament at the end of February, Maryland had its best offensive weekend of the year. The Terps scored 19 runs in five games in Gainesville. Since then, Maryland has scored 19 runs in 10 games.

On a pitch-by-pitch basis, it’s been a struggle for a team with nine newcomers. Wright hopes that turns around soon.

“Being younger and more inexperienced at this level,” Wright said, “we might give into a pitch that will lose us the at-bat.”