EAST LANSING, Mich. – Maryland (18-17, 2-5 B1G) piled the runs on Michigan State (12-22, 1-6 B1G) early and often, plating nine in the first two innings and later weathering the Spartans' comeback attempt to secure a win in the Terps' first Big Ten road series.
The Terps got off to one of their hottest starts of the season, scoring four runs in the first on back-t0-back singles from Amanda Brashear and Anna Kufta, then a Sammie Stefan sacrifice fly and a Taylor Wilson single made it 4-0 early.
In the second inning, Maryland got five across, stretching the lead to 9-0. Brashear laid down a SAC bunt but reached on an error, and Abbatine got home safely for the first run of the inning. Then, Gracie Voulgaris reached on an error and JoJo McRae scored, and a Sammie Stefan double sent two more runs home.
Senior right-hander Sydney Golden also got off to a hot start in the circle, sending down the first nine batters she faced, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. Golden secured her 11th win of the season, allowing five hits and six earned runs on the day, while fanning two to put herself one strikeout away from 50 on the season.
Michigan State made it interesting in the fourth and fifth innings, plating seven runs as Maryland cycled through Carr and Galvan in the circle to cut the Maryland lead to just three runs. However, the Terps were clutch when it mattered and a Kufta RBI single provided an insurance run as they held a four-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Galvan allowed two more runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Spartans attempted to claw their way back into the ballgame, but Maryland held them off and won the first leg of the three-game series in East Lansing. The Terps play the second game of the series Saturday at 1 p.m.
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