Poor baserunning and solid defense kept the Maryland softball team deadlocked with Iowa into the 11th inning, neither team scoring after trading sixth-inning runs.
Terps third baseman Brigette Nordberg finally broke the tie by blooping a single just out of the reach of the Hawkeyes infield, earning Maryland a 2-1 walk-off win and third conference victory with about a month left in the season, just one short of its Big Ten win total from last year.
Maryland starter Ryan Denhart was solid in the first five innings, allowing only two hits and a walk. In the sixth inning, a leadoff single by third baseman Sarah Kurtz and a double by center fielder Allie Wood gave Iowa the first run of the game and ended Denhart’s day.
Right-hander Sydney Golden escaped the sixth without further damage, the first of six her scoreless innings en route to her seventh win of the season.
Maryland (13-20, 3-1 Big Ten) answered Iowa’s score in the bottom-half of the sixth with a two-out RBI double from catcher Anna Kufta.
“Even though we were down, we weren’t nervous at all,” coach Julie Wright said. “I felt a good vibe from our kids.”
The Terps’ defense, which has struggled all season, was instrumental in keeping the game scoreless in the early going. In the first, the Hawkeyes (15-15, 1-2) had two runners on when center fielder Kassidy Cross made a full-extension diving catch to end the inning.
Shortstop Mikayla Werahiko saved another run in the third inning, stranding two runners with an over-the-shoulder basket catch.
“We’re positioned better, we’re active and we’re communicating better,” Wright said.
But Maryland’s baserunning prevented it from taking advantage. In the third inning, Cross was caught stealing and Werahiko was cut down trying to go first-to-third on an infield single.
In the ninth, the Terps lost another baserunner on a controversial play. With nobody out, Iowa catcher Angela Schmiederer threw to first to try to pick off Ellazar. Ellazar beat the throw but got tangled up with first baseman Mallory Killian, causing Ellazar’s foot to leave the bag and the umpire to call her out.
“The lead was a little too big for that moment,” Wright said, “She got too far off the bag and it was inadvertent contact, so that’s totally on Sky.”
Maryland’s defense came up big again to keep the game tied in the 10th inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, a single to left looked like it would score the go-ahead run.
Instead, the Hawkeyes runner held at third and Nordberg threw behind the trailing runner at second, catching her taking too wide of a turn and getting the Terps in the dugout still level.
Left fielder Amanda Brashear led off the 11th by reaching on an error, and Ellazar followed with a single. After they were bunted to second and third by Kufta, Nordberg’s base hit plated Brashear, giving Maryland a win in the series opener.
“I just wanted that run to get across,” Kufta said. “I knew Brigette was going to come up big.”
