The bases were loaded with no outs in the sixth. Grace Lorsung took the plate for Indiana, seeking to take the lead.
Lorsung lifted a hit out to center field. Maryland softball’s Jaeda McFarland ran to cover, jumping and stretching to make the diving catch she’s known for.
But the ball dropped in front of her glove. Jenkins tagged up on third and sprinted to the plate to take the lead and the game for her squad.
The Terps split their final series against the Hooisers on Sunday. Maryland fell to Indiana, 3-2, in its final game of the season, finishing the year at 19-25.
While the Terps racked up 10 hits, Maryland couldn’t finish the job on offense against Emily Goodin.
Annika Baez took the plate in the second with one out and Lorsung on first. She popped up to far right field, and JoJo McRae sprinted to field the ball. As the ball was dropping, McRae was still out of reach. She dove, and the ball dropped into her glove to make the play.
But she wasn’t done. McRae stood up and fired the ball to fellow senior Taylor Wilson at first base to get Lorsung out and end the inning on a double play.
[Strong pitching carries Maryland softball to final doubleheader win]
After the Hoosiers were shut out by the Terps in game two Saturday, Jenkins broke her team’s scoreless streak in the fourth. She smoked a homer over the fence in right field and took a solo lap to open the score.
Later in the frame, Indiana struck again. Bella Norton ripped a stand-up double into far left field to put herself into scoring position. Two batters later, Baez brought Norton home.
Baez knocked a hard grounder to the left side, and Norton saw her chance.
She took off for the plate as Micaela Abbatine played the ball in left field. Abbatine fired to catcher Gracie Voulgaris as she tried to catch Norton at home, but her throw flew wide. Norton scored to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead.
Maryland answered in the bottom of the inning. Wilson drilled a hard single up the middle, and Regan Kerr pinch-ran for her. Goodin, who tossed a no-hitter for Indiana Friday, walked Ruby Butler to advance Kerr into scoring position.
Abbatine laced a hard single through the left side, and Kerr sped home to score the Terps’ first run of the day.
McRae then drove a grounder to Grayson Radcliffe at third base. The ball deflected off Radcliffe’s glove, and Butler scored on the play to tie the game at 2-2.
[Emily Goodin no-hits Maryland softball, Indiana wins, 2-0]
But the Hoosiers jumped on Courtney Wyche in the sixth. Jenkins and Radcliffe both singled to open the inning and they each stole bases to advance into scoring position with no outs. Wyche intentionally walked Norton to get the force at every bag.
Lorsung popped an 0-1 pitch into center field, and McFarland dove to try and make a play. But she missed, and the ball dropped to the ground. Jenkins scored from third to give Indiana the lead once again with the bases still loaded.
Wyche fired two strikeouts, and Juvia Davis grounded out to get Maryland out of a jam and keep the game close. But the Terps could not capitalize.
Kerr led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and advanced to third on a stolen base and groundout. But Taylor Liguori could not come through, grounding out to end the frame and strand Kerr 60 feet from home.
And down to its last three outs of the season, Maryland could not finish. Taylor Okada singled with two outs, but Sammie Stefan grounded out to shortstop to put a quiet end to an unusual season.
