COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland softball team dropped both games of a double-header to Virginia Tech in front of a great crowd Saturday at the Maryland Softball Stadium. Junior Shannon Bustillos was 3-for-7 with four RBIs, two runs and a homer on the day, while freshman Kylie Datil was 3-for-6 with a double.
Game two – Virginia Tech 8, Maryland 6
Maryland came up just short in a thrilling back-and-forth affair, 8-6, in the nightcap Saturday. The Terrapins and Hokies combined for 14 runs and 22 hits in the game.
Bustillos carried the Terrapins with a three-run home run and a triple for 4 RBIs, while freshman Datil was 3-for-4. Madison Martin was strong in the circle, allowing only two earned runs in 5.1 innings.
The Terps struggled at the start of the game, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in the first inning. Logan Spaw did the bulk of the damage with a bases-clearing double in the right center gap.
Undeterred by the deficit, Amanda McCann led off the first with a walk and promptly scored on a Bustillos triple to right center field. Jessica Warner then scored Bustillos with a groundout to shortstop to cut the Maryland deficit in half, 4-2.
Warner got the Terrapins going again in the fourth with a single to center, before being replaced by pinch-runner Sarah Calta. Calta stole second base, and scored on a Juli Strange single through the right side.
The Maryland faithful was then driven into a frenzy when Bustillos blasted a go-ahead three-run bomb to put the home side ahead, 6-4. Bustillos scored Martin and McCann on the play.
The visiting Hokies answered right back, however, scoring a pair of runs in the sixth to tie the game, and then adding two more to take an 8-6 lead in the seventh.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Maryland made its final stand as Strange earned a hard-fought walk. Datil then followed with a double to the right field gap, but Strange was gunned down at home to end the game.
Game one – Virginia Tech 3, Maryland 0
Kelly Heinz pitched a one-hit complete game gem to lead Virginia Tech to a 3-0 victory in the first game of the day Saturday.
Junior Kaitlyn Schmeiser had a great outing despite the poor run support, allowing just two earned runs in 7.0 innings. Bustillos posted the lone hit of the game for the Terps.
The Hokies jumped on the board in the second inning on an RBI single by Bailey Liddle. Liddle scored Logan Spaw on the play, who reached base on a well-struck double to center field.
Virginia Tech then doubled its lead in the third after Lauren Gaskill doubled to left field to leadoff the inning. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Gaskill stole home on a designed play by the Hokies.
Gaskill generated an insurance run for the Hokies in the fifth after reaching base on an error and advancing to third on a Kylie McGoldrick single. Katey Smith then scored Gaskill with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Heinz retired the final 14 Maryland batters to secure the victor for Virginia Tech.
-Maryland-
