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March 25, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" After battling back to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth inning, a home run in the top of the seventh would secure the 4-3 win for Maryland in Penn State softball's three game series against the Terrapins Sunday, March 25 at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
"It was a great game there at the end in the last few innings," said head coach Amanda Lehotak. "I think Maryland and us have a lot of respect for one another. For us it was a tale of two games, first one through four innings I thought we were really flat and slow to get going, and then we turned it on so I like that approach. I give Maryland credit, they came back and had a good game and win today. I thought both teams made good adjustments in the end. If that wind hadn't picked up I think Delaney's [Elling] ball might have gone out, but that's what it's all about on Sundays."
Senior Gianna Arrizurieta (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) led all NIttany Lion batters at the plate with two singles and one run, while freshman Haley Vallejos (Chandler, Ariz.) tallied her first career extra-base hit with a double over the left fielder's head. Sophomores Delaney Elling (Washington, Pa.) and Amanda Grieco (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and junior Meghan Williams (Bethlehem, Pa.) drove in one RBI each for the Blue and White and freshman Dani Fey (Bangor, Pa.) drew two walks and scored once.
Senior Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) pitched her second complete game of the week in the loss, striking out five and walking just two in seven innings of work.
Skylynne Ellazar led Maryland at the plate with three hits and drove in the winning run with the home run in the top of the seventh inning. Sydney Golden earned her second-straight win against the Nittany Lions, throwing all seven innings and giving up five walks.
Maryland capitalized on a Penn State error in the top of the second inning when a single to right center scored the runner on second to give the Terrapins a 1-0 advantage. UMD put runners on second and third with two outs before Kassidy Cross came in to pinch hit and laced a triple down the left field line to score two and extend its lead to 3-0.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Vallejos ripped a double over the left fielder's head and pinch runner Kennedy Legg (Keller, Texas) advanced to third on an infield groundout. A strikeout ended the inning without a Penn State run scoring as it continued to trail 3-0 after five complete innings.
Arrizurieta led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Fey walk to put runners in scoring position with no outs on the board. The Nittany Lions used a hit batter to load the bases for Elling, who dropped a shallow single into right center to score the first run of the inning for the Blue and White. Williams brought in the second run when she hit a slow rolling grounder to second that would bring Penn State within one with one out.
Penn State knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth when Grieco singled back at the pitcher but Maryland quickly re-gained the lead in the top of seventh when Ellazar homered over the center field wall.
The Blue and White battled in the bottom of the seventh inning as Arrizurieta singled through the left side and made her way to second on a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Elling launched a ball all the way to the center field warning track that was caught and advanced Arrizurieta to third. Maryland picked up the final out it needed to secure the victory over the Blue and White as Penn State stranded one runner on third.
Up Next:
The Nittany Lions continue their home slate Wednesday, March 28 when Robert Morris comes to Happy Valley for a 5 p.m. doubleheader.