PISCATAWAY, N.J.—Lindsey Schmeiser belted a solo home run in the first game of the Maryland softball team's double-header against Rutgers on Tuesday, tying the all-time Maryland home run record. The home run, L. Schmeiser's 11 of the season, knots her with Beth Radford atop the record books with 27 career long balls.
The Terrapins (26-21, 8-9 Big Ten) could not capitalize on the record breaking day, dropping the first game, 5-6, and the nightcap, 3-11.
Maryland returns to the diamond this weekend, as they host #4 Michigan for a three game series. Friday's matchup will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network starting at 5:00 p.m.
Game One
Maryland and Rutgers opened the day with a pitcher's duel, holding each other scoreless through the first inning and a half. In the second, the Scarlet Knights got on the board first off a Sierra Maddox solo home run. L. Schmeiser answered in the third with a solo shot of her own.
Rutgers retook the lead in the top of the third, racking one run off one pitch, scoring on a pass ball.
With Maryland trailing 2-1 in the fourth, Shannon Bustillos opened the frame with a home run to left center. Mandy Gardner singled, Kylie Datil single and L. Schmeiser walked to load the bases. Hannah Dewey singled to right, driving in two runs. Corey Schwartz then opened a 5-2 Maryland lead with an RBI single to left center.
Rutgers scored one in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh to come away with the walk-off victory. Hannah Dewey (6-9) took the loss, pitching one and one third innings and giving up two runs. Kaitlyn Schmeiser started the game, fanning one and yielding three earned runs over five innings.
Game Two
Schwartz opened the nightcap of the twin bill with a two-run home run to give the Terps an early 2-0 lead. Erin Pronobis then went back-to-back blasting a solo shot to center, extending the lead to 3-0 in the first.
Consecutive doubles by Rutgers in the bottom of the frame brought a runner home, while a double steal plated an additional run to pull within one run.
The Scarlet Knight's offense broke the game open in the second, scoring six runs off four hits. A two-run home run by Chandler Howard and a three-run homer by Rebecca Hall accounted for five of the runs. An error by the Maryland defense led to the sixth.
RU added two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take the second game in five innings and swept the double-header.
-Maryland-
