Maryland softball appeared to have an easy game one victory secured over Indiana. The Hoosiers’ pitching staff couldn’t find sight of the strike zone early, walking 11 batters through three innings.
The Terps held a seemingly comfortable 8-5 lead, but the game quickly fell apart in a deadly fourth inning.
For the second time in three games, the Terps completely unraveled and put themselves in mercy rule territory. Maryland allowed a whopping 15 runs in the fourth in a 20-10 loss in Bloomington on Sunday.
It’s the most runs a Big Ten team has allowed in an inning over the past three seasons, and tied for the third-most in the NCAA over that span.
Taylor Minnick led off Indiana with an easy single to right field. Avery Parker followed up with a first-pitch homer over the center field fence, bringing the score within one. The Hoosiers (24-10, 4-7 Big Ten) never slowed down from there.
[Bri Godfrey rebuilt her pitching motion. Now she’s emerging as Maryland softball’s ace.]
They went through the lineup twice in the frame. Maryland (15-20, 3-8 Big Ten) used three different pitchers, but no one could throw anything past Indiana to retire the inning.
Keira Bucher threw in Maryland’s circle, earning her second start in the past three games. It was the junior’s fourth start this season.
The right-hander allowed a season-high 10 hits. She was pulled after letting up a triple that scored the third and fourth runs of the fourth inning.
Junior right-hander Bri Godfrey couldn’t do anything against the Hoosiers either in relief. She gave up fivefour runs without recording an out. Julia Shearer was forced to close the inning and game, striking out one batter but allowing another four runs.
Parker, Minnick and Melina Wilkison all hit homers in the inning that accounted for six runs. The Hoosiers tallied 11 hits in the frame — Maryland mustered just four all game.
[Maryland softball drops third straight to No. 7 UCLA, 10-1, after disastrous fifth inning]
The showing was reminiscent of just two games ago, when the Terps fell apart against UCLA and allowed eight quick runs. Godfrey was in the circle for the fifth-inning grand slam that killed Maryland’s life and ended her game in the circle. Coach Lauren Karn pulled the junior, but it was too late.
It was nearly identical for Bucher on Sunday, who was pulled after allowing a triple that broke the tie and gave the Hoosiers an 11-8 lead.
Maryland’s lack of a true No. 1 pitcher has plagued it all season. The Terps have allowed 34 runs in the past three games with no one consistently shutting down their opposition.
Maryland failed to muster any real offense of its own, as four of the 10 runs were walked home. The biggest hit of the game came from Sydney Lewis when she blasted a two-run homer in the first inning.
The Hoosiers opted not to show Maryland their No. 1, Jenae Berry, who could throw both games in Monday’s doubleheaders starting at 10:30 a.m. The Terps will need to find solutions in under 12 hours to avoid another meltdown.
