UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball battled defensively for nine innings, but the Nittany Lions were unable to move past the Maryland Terrapins in a 2-0 contest to open the Easter weekend series at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
The Blue & White fell to 24-7 overall in the 2024 campaign and moved to 3-1 through the early going in Big Ten Conference play. Penn State suffered its first home loss of the season, dropping to 9-1 in home contests this year in addition to snapping the nation's fourth-longest active home winning streak, which reached 16 games before Friday night's result. Maryland jumped back above .500 with their victorious outing, rising to 16-15 overall while moving to 3-1 in the Big Ten after booking a series win over Minnesota last week. PSU still maintains a stable 22-16 lead over Maryland in the all-time series after the series opener.
Penn State called on freshman pitcher Bridget Nemeth to start in the circle Friday night, logging her eighth start of 2024 in addition to her sixth complete game of the season. The Glendora, California, native was saddled with her first collegiate loss in 15 games at PSU's pitcher of record, moving to 14-1 overall through this point in her debut season. Nemeth fanned six batters and walked a single Maryland batter, tossing 151 total pitches and 100 total strikes in her 9.0 innings pitched.
In the batter's box, senior third baseman Emily Maddock recorded Penn State's only extra-base hit of the night in the first inning, doubling to left-center on a 1-0 count. Maddock, a native of Kempton, Pennsylvania, recorded her ninth extra-base hit of the season in addition to her fifth double in 2024. The veteran Nittany Lion infielder extended her hitting streak to four straight games following her performance at the plate against the Terrapins. Senior catcher Gaby Garcia registered a single later in the contest, extending her hitting streak to four consecutive while joining Maddock for the longest active stretch on the team.
Maryland got to work early in the top of the first inning, managing to load the bases on two hits and a walk, but the Nittany Lion defense behind Nemeth managed to keep the Terps off the board. Maddock registered PSU's first hit of the game in the bottom of the frame, but the Nittany Lions were unable to plate any runners in the inaugural inning. Neither squad managed to book any serious threat over the next few innings, with second base going untouched until the top of the sixth. Maryland threatened in the top of the eighth inning, but a bases-loaded pop out into Maddock's glove kept the score deadlocked headed into the ninth. The Terrapins utilized a trio of hits in the top of the ninth to plate two runs, and Penn State was unable to extend the contest in the home half, finalizing Maryland's 2-0 win.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Emily Maddock | 1-for-3, 2B, BB
Gaby Garcia | 1-for-3, BB
Bridget Nemeth | 9.0 IP, 11H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 6K, 151TP
KEY INNINGS
T9 | Madison Runyan led the inning off with a single toward the Nittany Lion shortstop, but the Terps popped up on an unsuccessful bunt attempt to put one away. Megan Mikami singled toward the second baseman, advancing Runyan to second in the process. In the next at-bat, Jaeda McFarland doubled to left center and managed to plate both runners for the only scores of the game. UMD 2, PSU 0
UP NEXT
Penn State softball continues its Big Ten Conference Easter weekend series against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, March 30, with the Blue & White set to face off in the second game of the set starting at an adjusted first pitch time of noon (ET). The contest is set to stream to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+, with live stat links available at the Penn State softball schedule webpage.
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Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateSB.
