HOUSTON – Maryland (4-3) won its first two matchups of the Houston Classic today, beating Nicholls State 2-1 and topping Houston 4-2. Behind phenomenal pitching across the board, the Terps' offense also showed what it was capable of today as they outhit the Colonels and Cougars 13-9 collectively and hammered two home runs from Bailey Boyd and Micaela Abbatine. The Terps return to the Cougar Softball Stadium tomorrow at 10 a.m. (ET) to face UL-Monroe for the first game of Saturday's action.

Game 1 – Box Score

Nicholls State got on the board quickly, scoring their sole run of the day in the first inning after earning three free passes and getting home on a wild pitch. The Terps kept the Colonels from scoring again behind solid pitching from Victoria Galvan in her first collegiate start and a clutch save effort from Kiana Carr.

In the bottom of the third inning, Okada, McRae, and Kufta reached base in order on a single, fielder's choice and error, respectively. Freshman catcher Gracie Voulgaris, who led the team in batting average going into today, grounded out but drove in McRae to tie the game. In the next at-bat, Sammie Stefan (3-3 on the day) hit a single up the middle, plating Kufta and giving the Terps the 2-1 lead.

Carr took over pitching duties for Maryland in the top of the fifth in less than ideal circumstances – two runners on and no outs – but threw two strikeouts and got the Terps out of the inning unharmed.

The Terps continued to search for insurance runs to no avail, even with a great opportunity with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth after Taylor Wilson entered the game to pinch hit. Luckily, Carr's pitching kept Nicholls State from completing the last-chance comeback in the top of the seventh. 

Kiana Carr was credited with the save after pitching three scoreless innings, and Galvan was credited with her second win of the season in her first career start after pitching four innings, allowing three hits and only one earned run.

Game 2 – Box Score

The Terps were retired in order to start the second game of the day just 30 minutes after defeating Nicholls State, but the slow start wasn't a good indicator of what was to come later in the game.

Bailey Boyd got the first hit of the game in the top of the second – a single that crept down the left field line – but she was one of only four runners left on base by Maryland in the game.

Houston got on the board first, driving in their first run in the bottom of the second on a single. They'd go on to leave a runner on base that inning as well. Shortly after, in the top of the third, Micaela Abbatine hit her first collegiate home run – a solo shot that tied the game 1-1.

Not to be outdone, the Cougars answered with a solo home run of their own, and regained the lead, 2-1 in the bottom of the third. After both teams put three batters down in order in the fourth inning and both pitchers fired off strike after strike in the fifth, the Terps batters prevailed, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth. Taylor Wilson got a pinch-hit single, McRae (re-entered for Wilson) advanced into scoring position on a fielder's choice, and Voulgaris drove in McRae on a single to tie the game once again at 2-2.

But the star of the show, Bailey Boyd, crushed a two-run homer deep in left field to put the Terps up 4-2. It was just the second of her career at Maryland, and proved to be the go-ahead score in the matchup against the Houston squad that went to NCAA Regionals a year ago.

Houston battled in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn't get anything going against senior Sydney Golden, who had an excellent day in the circle for the Terps.

Looking for insurance runs in the top of the seventh, freshman Taylor Okada tripled to right field but was stranded there without anything to come from her big hit.

The Cougars made it interesting in the pivotal bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out, but Golden fanned the Houston batter for the second out and a fly-out ended the game to secure the Terrapin victory and make them 2-0 on the day.

Golden pitched the complete game, only allowing five hits and one earned run, striking out four batters, and improving her season record to 2-2. The Terps play Lousiana-Monroe tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. ET.