Trinity Schlotterbeck showcased her two-way ability Friday, pairing a shutout complete game with an RBI single.
Her performance helped Maryland softball take down East Carolina 5-0 in its second game of the Pirate Invitational. The Terps won their first game of the day, 2-0, over Saint Josephs.
Schlotterbeck allowed just three hits, struck out four and forced ten groundouts. She pounded the bottom of the zone and forcing hitters off-balance — a staple for her early in the season.
“[Schlotterbeck] was really working the drop ball and the [curveball] and [screwball] and her offspeed pitches and did a nice job,” Maryland coach Mark Montgomery said.
The senior worked heavily on her changeup over the offseason, Montgomery said, a pitch she’d struggled with in the past.
East Carolina (14-4) had beaten Monmouth in a pitching duel in its first game of the day. Its success continued as the Terps’ offense was quieted early — shutout for the first four innings.
[Mexico trip gave Trinity Schlotterbeck a chance to lead Maryland softball]
But the door creaked open for Maryland (11-5) in the fifth after junior Jaeda McFarland singled and brought Amelia Lech to the plate. The sophomore cracked a ball to center that the Pirates misplayed, allowing McFarland to round the bases and give her team a one-run lead.
In the same inning, Schlotterbeck put the Terps ahead by two with a single. The Maryland offense could’ve had a much bigger offensive day but left ten runners on base.
“We got to do a better job of plating those when the opportunity come,” Montgomery said. “I do feel like we threatened throughout the game and I think we finally were able to just break it open”
Maryland stretched its lead further an inning later, as junior Kiley Goff laced a double to the right-center gap to put runners on second and third with just one out.
McFarland lined out, putting the Terps in another precarious situation with runners in scoring position with two outs. But Lech delivered as she had all season, driving in another two RBIs with a single. She also had a home run earlier that day against Saint Josephs.
[Maryland softball hit its first dip of the season due to a subpar offense]
“I think as she continues to grow … she’s gonna be one of the best hitters in the nation,” Montgomery said.
Wyche matches Schlotterbeck
Courtney Wyche helped Maryland win the first game of the day in her own shutout against Saint Joseph’s. Her 12 strikeouts were just one shy of her season-high as the Terps won 4-0.
“Courtney throws it so hard and when she throws it that hard at your knees, it’s just hard to get lift and drive on the ball,” Montgomery said.
Wyche was given crucial run support in a three-run third inning, an inning capped by a Schlotterbeck RBI single.
