COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland couldn't complete the comeback and fell to the 20th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers, 5-3, to start the Big Ten schedule 0-3.
Senior Sydney Golden and Minnesota ace Amber Fiser were locked into an intense pitching duel as the Terps were held hitless and Minnesota was held scoreless up until the fifth inning. The Gophers struck first, scoring four runs in the top of the fifth. The first run was plated by way of an error, then consecutive RBI singles with the bases loaded plated three more runs.
The Terps didn't have much of an answer in the bottom of the frame, but the Terps did get their first runner of the game aboard via a Sammie Stefan bloop single.
Maryland finally heated up in the bottom of the sixth as Regan Kerr and JoJo McRae got on leading up to an Anna Kufta two-RBI triple and a Gracie Voulgaris RBI double which made it 5-3, but a groundout would end the inning as Golden was sent back out to the circle to keep the Terps squarely in it.
Minnesota got a hit but was held scoreless in the seventh, and the game would come down to the bottom of the seventh with a do-or-die chance for the Terps. Sammie Stefan got aboard via a walk, but the next three batters were sent down by Fiser and Minnesota would complete the three-game sweep.
Next, the Terps face Ohio State at home on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
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