COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland won its third Big Ten Conference game in a row with a dramatic 8-5 victory over Iowa on Friday night at the Maryland Softball Stadium. The Terps (16-15, 3-1 Big Ten) broke a 5-5 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning as
Jaeda McFarland scored on a
Mackense Greico fielder's choice after McFarland tripled with one out. McFarland danced around the catcher and reached back to touch home plate for the go-ahead run. Maryland tacked on two more runs in bottom of the sixth to secure the win. The Terps rallied from down 4-1 with four runs in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead, but Iowa tied the game in the top of the sixth.
Taylor Okada went 4-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Terps' hitting attack. Okada's four hits equaled a career-high, set back in 2020.
Kiley Goff had a two-run double in the third to put the Terps on top, 5-4.
In the circle,
Trinity Schlotterbeck started and threw 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs.
Haley Ellefson relieved her and finished the game, earning the victory. She mowed down Iowa 1-2-3 in the seventh for the win.
Breaking Down The Action
• Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Kalena Burns' RBI single
• The Hawkeyes increased their lead to 3-0 with two runs in the second, scoring on a passed ball and a Brylee Klosterman double.
• Maryland got on the board as Okada scored on an error in the bottom of the second inning, making 3-1.
• Iowa answered with a run in the top of the third on a sacrrific fly by Sheehy.
• The Terps' big four-run third started with a sacrifice fly by
Michaela Jones scoring
Kamryn Davis. The
Ruby Butler doubled home Schlotterbeck to make it 4-3. Then Goff's two-run double to center scored Butler and Okada to a 5-4 Maryland lead.
• Iowa tied the game in the fifth as Burns' fielder's choice scored Sophia Maras with two outs.
• McFarland scored the go-ahead run after a triple as she came home on Greico's fielder's choice hit to third. Greico came home on an Ellefson single to make it 7-5.
Campbell Kline scored on an error to make it 8-5.
600 Wins!
• Prior to the game, head coach
Mark Montgomery was honored for his 600th career win, which he captured in the Terps' last home game on March 20.
Up Next
• The Terps play game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will air on Big Ten+.
