EAST LANSING, MI – The No. 5 seed Maryland softball team won a Big Ten Tournament game for the first time in program history as it downed the No. 12 seed Michigan State Spartans, 7-1. The Terps used stellar pitching and small ball to defeat the host Spartans in the tournament's opening round, scoring on two errors and a wild pitch in the game.
Courtney Wyche started in the circle and was dominant, pitching seven innings and giving up just three hits. The Spartans one run was unearned. After hitting a batter with a pitch in the first inning, Wyche retired 16 straight batters between the first and sixth innings.
Taylor Okada had a strong day at the plate, collecting two hits and an RBI.
Ruby Butler also notched a hit and an RBI.
Breaking Down The Action
- Both teams put two runners aboard in the first inning, but both starting pitchers closed the door on the early scoring chances.
- The Terps loaded the bases in the third inning after Butler and Megan Mikami collected hits, Mikami stole second, and Jaeda McFarland walked. Mackense Greico proceeded to ground into a fielder's choice, and Haley Ellefson popped out to left field to end the threat and leave the game scoreless.
- Maryland got on the board in the fourth as a double from Michaela Jones put her and Campbell Kline in scoring position, and Butler drove Kline home on a fielder's choice.
- Jones later managed to steal home as Kiley Goff beat out a rundown between first and second base, giving the Terps a 2-0 lead.
- Okada's one-out, bases-loaded single in the fifth gave the Terps a 3-0 lead, but they couldn't plate any more runs in the inning.
- Mikami and Regan Kerr were in scoring position in the sixth inning, and a fielding error allowed Mikami to score, making the score 4-0. Taylor Liguori's pinch-hit sacrifice bunt forced an error on Michigan State's Ash Miller, allowing Kerr to score. Ellefson's sac fly scored McFarland and a wild pitch allowed Liguori to come around to make it 7-0.
- Butler's throwing error in the seventh allowed the Spartans to put runner on second, and two straight groundouts to second base brought the run around to score.
Notable Numbers
- 7: Seven different Terps recorded at least one hit.13:
- 13: McFarland recorded her 13th multi-hit game.
- 15: Okada collected her 15th career multi-hit game.
- 16: Wyche sat down 16 consecutive batters between the first and sixth innings.
- 30: Mikami is now 30-30 on stolen base attempts this season.
Up Next
- The Terps take on the No. 4 seed Michigan Wolverines tomorrow at 7 p.m., with the game airing live on Big Ten Network.
