Box Score vs. Pitt | Box Score vs. Kent State
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Maryland softball team split its two opening games of the Strike Out Cancer Tournament, hosted by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. The Terps (3-4) shut out Pittsburgh 1-0 and lost 5-3 to Kent State.
In the tournament's first game, junior Kendra Knight struck out 16 batters and allowed just one hit over seven-plus innings as the Terps and Panthers both struggled offensively. Pittsburgh's Cory Berliner and Kathryn Jones combined for seven scoreless innings as well, leading up to a dramatic eight inning.
With the Panthers batting first in extras, Knight walked Pittsburgh's Niki Cognigni but recovered by outing the next two batters. With Cognigni now on third, head coach Laura Watten brought in senior Kerry Hickey, who struck out Yvette Bravo, ending the Pittsburgh threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, sophomores Sara Acosta and Courtney Kane reached base thanks to a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively. Hickey followed by advancing by runners with a timely sacrifice bunt. With one out and runners on second and third, senior Marisha Branson hit a single through the infield to score Acosta and give the Terps their third win of the early season.
Against the Golden Flashes, the Terrapins fell in an early hole with Hickey's first-inning wild pitch which scored Kent State's Alex Marcontonio. In the third, Mary Holt drove in a pair and Shannon Laughlin hit a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 4-0.
Junior Bree Hanafin hit a lead-off homer to open the fourth and Hickey added another run with a one-out home run in the sixth but Kent State countered with another run off a Hanafin error.
Leading the heroics just hours prior, Branson homered to open the seventh and senior Sloane Van Meter and Acosta reached on errors to give Maryland a chance at the comeback. However Kent State's Lauren McNeil continued her strong day on the mound by forcing Hickey to line-out to the infield.
The Terps will play Connecticut and Jacksonville on Saturday at 9 and 11 a.m., respectively.
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