BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Maryland softball team earned a split against a pair of SEC teams Friday at the Florida Atlantic “Strikeout Cancer” Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. The Terrapins fell to Mississippi State in the opener, before defeating South Carolina in the nightcap.
Senior Amanda McCann went 2-for-5 on the day with a pair of runs, while Kaitlyn Schmeiser pitched five strong innings in the second game to earn the victory.
The Terps return to action tomorrow with a pair of games against South Carolina and Florida Atlantic at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.
Game 2 – Maryland 8, South Carolina 4
Maryland scored five runs on six hits in a huge fourth inning to defeat South Carolina, 8-4, in the second game of the FAU Tournament. McCann went 2-for-3 with two runs in the outing.
The Terps got off to a quick start, as Shannon Bustillos used a single to knock home McCann and give the Terps a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.
The Terrapins tacked on two more runs in the following frame, as freshman Kylie Datil and McCann posted a pair of RBI singles.
The gates opened for Maryland in the fourth inning when Corey Schwartz and Erin Pronobis opened the inning with a pair of hits. Juli Strange knocked in Schwartz with a single, before Lindsey Schmeiser smacked a two-run single up the middle to put the Terps ahead, 6-0. Candice Beards capped the scoring with a two-run single of her own.
The Gamecocks would not go down easy, however, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the game. South Carolina tacked on another run in the sixth, but would not get any closer as Maryland sealed the win.
Game 1 – Mississippi State 3, Maryland 1
The Mississippi State Bulldogs scored three runs in the second inning and held on for the remainder of the game to defeat Maryland, 3-1, in the first game of the day.
After a clean first inning by freshman pitcher Hannah Dewey, Mississippi State struck first with a solo home run in the second to take a 1-0 advantage. The Bulldogs then tacked on two more runs for the 3-0 lead.
The Terps gained some momentum in the top of the third on an acrobatic catch by Sarah Calta, and followed in the bottom half with a Strange walk. Strange then made her way around the bases to pull Maryland within two runs, 3-1.
Mississippi State threatened again in the top of the fourth by loading the bases, but Brenna Nation battled back to get three outs and retire the Bulldogs.
