Sydney Lewis stepped up to the plate with no outs and a two-run cushion before swinging at a pitch, hitting it off the end of the barrel.
The ball bounced through the legs of Wisconsin’s pitcher and slipped past the glove of the shortstop, rolling to centerfield. The error gave Maryland enough time to score two more runs and another eventually crossed home before the end of the frame.
The five-run third inning gave Maryland an early lead that it never surrendered. The 12-2 win was crucial for the Terps who are looking to secure their position in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Terps (21-29, 6-15 Big Ten) remain 12th in the Big Ten standings and will continue to fight for their spot in the Big Ten tournament throughout the weekend. The top 12 team’s qualify for the tournament.
This marked Maryland’s last weekend series in 2024. The Terps went 1-2 last weekend against Purdue, dropping their fifth straight conference set. They pulled out a win on Saturday, breaking their 11-game conference losing streak on senior night.
[Courtney Wyche could’ve left Maryland softball. She left her mark in College Park instead.]
Courtney Wyche started in the series opener against Wisconsin and struck out three of the six batters in the first two innings.
Maryland got on base early on in the second with singles by Diamond Williams and Michaela Jones, putting a runner in scoring position. Although the Terps failed to score in the second, runners finally crossed the plate in the third.
Sammi Woods turned the bat over to the top of the lineup with a single to the pitcher to start the offensive explosion. Megan Mikami reached with another single and Jaeda McFarland singled to center field to score the first runner of the game. A single by Mazie MacFarlane brought home Mikami to put two up on the board.
Wisconsin changed pitchers after Lewis’ at-bat, but it was to no avail. Maryland loaded the bases and an RBI by Madison Runyan brought home the fifth run of the inning.
[Maryland softball falls to Purdue, 7-1, drops fifth straight Big Ten series]
Wyche let up one run and one hit in the third. A Skylar Sirdashney single to the right center scored Alivia Bark. The Badgers knocked one more in late in the fourth to trim their deficit to three.
The Terps struggled with offensive production in the past couple of games, with two one-run games last weekend. Maryland’s lineup gave Wyche more freedom to pitch on Friday, keeping the pressure off of her with added run support.
Woods reached first on a throwing error in the sixth, putting Delaney Reefe in scoring position. A Miami single knocked Reefe in and put the sixth run on the board for the Terps.
A sacrifice bunt in the top of the seventh by Hannah Runk and another error by the second baseman scored another run. A Sammi Woods single and Wisconsin’s fourth error of the game brought in four more runs.
Like the opening frames, Lewis deepened the deficit with a two-RBI single sending two more runs across the plate and increasing Maryland’s lead to 12.
The teams meet again tomorrow at 2 p.m.. The first win of the weekend increased Maryland’s postseason hopes and put them in a better position to secure a Big Ten Tournament spot.
