March 31, 2007

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Tallahassee, Fla. - Maryland's first day in Tallahassee turned into a marathon, as the Terps and Seminoles fought fiercely for 14 innings in game one, before Florida State won 4-2 on a walk-off home run by Monica Montez in the bottom of the 14th. The Terrapins battled gamely for four innings in the second game of the doubleheader, but fell 6-0 and dropped to 19-12 on the season.

The losses ended the Terps' 11 game winning streak. Florida State improved to 26-15 on the season.

Not only was the first game the longest in Maryland history, it tied the record for the longest in Atlantic Coast Conference history. Virginia Tech defeated Florida State 3-2 in 14 innings during the 2005 ACC Tournament in College Park, Md.

Unfortunately for the Terrapins, it was Florida State who celebrated victory at the end. Tiffany McDonald pitched the entire game for the Noles, and struck out 23 batters in the process. For the frustrated Terrapins, it was the first time in 12 games they had failed to score at least three runs.

Meredith Nelles, who entered the game in relief in the fifth inning, took the loss for the Terps and fell to 10-4 on the year. She pitched eight scoreless innings brilliantly before giving up the homer to Montez.

The Terrapins jumped on the board first when Amber Jackson, who had been hit by a pitch, scored off a Lindsay Klein bounced the ball off the dirt towards the pitcher. McDonald picked up the ball and looked towards first to throw Klein out, missing Jackson as she ran home for the score.

With Jennifer Wellborn at the plate, Jenny Belak scored from third on a wild pitch by McDonald, and the Terps led 2-0.

Florida State answered quickly in the bottom of the third by loading the bases with two outs on the board. Stacey Jennings then walked Robin Ahrberg, which scored Yuruby Alicart from third.

Michelle Snyder singled to center field to score Kelly Langston, and the game was tied at two.

The teams would combine for 11 hits in the next ten innings, but no runs, as the game ran just shy of four hours in length.

Maryland kept the second game close for the first four innings, before Florida State pulled away in the fifth.

Florida State scored one run off Maryland starter Abbey Welch in the second inning when catcher Brittany Krbec singled to center field to bring home Jessica Gilmore.

Welch fell to 3-1 on the year after suffering her first loss as a starter. Florida State's Terese Gober improved to 8-3.

Things fell apart for Maryland in the bottom of the fifth, as the Noles scored three runs off a double by Gilmore to go up 4-0.

A triple to right center field by Montez scored another run for the Seminoles in the sixth, and then scored in that inning off a double by Carly Wynn to give the game's final margin.

Maryland and Florida State will meet Sunday at 11:30 to conclude the series.