COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland softball team crushed three home runs to rout Delaware State, 10-2, in five innings Wednesday evening at the Maryland softball stadium.
Kylie Datil, Erin Pronobis and Lindsey Schmeiser each connected on home runs for the Terrapins, while Amanda McCann and Juli Strange combined for four hits and four runs in five at-bats. Kaitlyn Schmeiser pitched her second consecutive complete game, allowing just one earned run in 5.0 innings to earn her fourth victory of the season.
The Terps jumped all over the visiting Hornets from the outset, building a 4-0 lead after just one inning. McCann got the ball rolling with a leadoff triple, before Shannon Bustillos promptly knocked her in with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The inning continued as L. Schmeiser crushed a home run to left field to put the Terps ahead, 2-0. After a Candice Beards single to short, Datil connected for her second blast of the season to double the Maryland lead, 4-0.
Delaware State returned the favor by generating a run of its own in the top of the second after putting a runner on first and second on a walk and a single. L. Schmeiser then misplayed a Jordan Stamps' grounder, allowing Sandy Hawthorne to score from second base.
After the Hornets tacked on another run in the top of the fourth, the Terps scored four more runs in the bottom of the inning to take an 8-2 lead. Pronobis hit a two-run homer over the right field wall, and McCann followed by scoring on a double and an error by the Hornet outfielder. After hits by Bustillos and Madison Martin, Beards hit a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.
Maryland then ended the game in the fifth by scoring two more runs, as Jessica Warner led off the inning with a walk. The pinch-runner Sarah Calta stole second, and then scored on a single by Strange. With Strange on third, the Terps' ended the game in entertaining fashion with a suicide squeeze bunt by Corey Schwartz. Strange hustled home on the bunt, and beat the throw to secure the walk-off victory.
The Terrapins return to action this weekend with a pivotal three-game series against Virginia Tech at the Maryland Softball Stadium.
Notes: McCann moved into fourth all-time in triples (8)…L. Schmeiser moved into a tie for ninth all-time in home runs (16).
-Maryland-
