COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State softball team (4-21, 4-21 Big Ten) was topped twice by Maryland (13-17, 13-17 Big Ten) in a doubleheader to start the series Friday evening at Maryland Softball Stadium.
Game 1: Maryland 1, Penn State 0
Game one of the series was very much a pitchers' duel between junior Bailey Parshall and Maryland's Jennifer Brann. Both pitchers finished with six strikeouts and, combined with their defenses, left five runners stranded on base as the first five and a half innings remained scoreless.
Penn State started off the opening frame with singles from juniors Claire Swedberg and Ally Kurland, but Brann struck out the side to keep the Nittany Lions off the board.
Maryland got its first runner on base by error in the bottom of the second but she was stranded in scoring position after stealing second.
Kurland doubled down the right field line in the top of the third with two outs for her second hit of the game but the Terrapins got the final out to once again keep the visitors from capitalizing.
In the bottom of the fifth, Maryland recorded a one-out triple to threaten with another runner in scoring position. Parshall and the defense stayed solid, however, getting the next two outs and not allowing a run to come across.
The Terrapins were able to score the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a hit and two errors.
Senior Kennedy Legg attempted to rally her teammates with a lead-off double to the wall in the top of the seventh and sophomore Kaitlyn Morrison was able to advance pinch-runner Liana Jones to third on a sacrifice bunt, but no runs would come across.
Game 2: Maryland 11, Penn State 1 (5 innings)
Legg started game two where she left off, hitting another double on the day in the bottom of the first to score Swedberg and give Penn State the early 1-0 advantage in the opening frame.
From there, Maryland took over, scoring six runs on five hits in the bottom of the first.
The Terrapins then added two runs in the second and third and one in the fourth to claim a 11-1 five-inning victory.
ON DECK
Game three of the series between the Nittany Lions and Terrapins continues Saturday at 1 p.m. at Maryland Softball Stadium.
GAME NOTES
- Junior Ally Kurland recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season in game one, and her third in the last four games.
- With six strikeouts in game one, junior pitcher Bailey Parshall now sits at 387 career strikeouts, one shy of tying for sixth all-time in the program record books.