Wyche Strikes Out 19, Most In NCAA This Season, In 2-0 Win At No. 22 Penn State

Friday, March 29

University Park, PA

5 PM

Maryland

16-15, 3-1

#22 Penn State

24-7, 3-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Maryland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	11	0
Penn State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2

Wyche Strikes Out 19, Most In NCAA This Season, In 2-0 Win At No. 22 Penn State

3/29/2024 6:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

STATE COLLEGE, PA – Courtney Wyche struck out a career-high 19 batters in Maryland softball's 2-0 upset win over No. 22 Penn State in nine innings at Nittany Lion Softball Park on Friday. Wyche broke the NCAA individual game-high for strikeouts in 2024. She passed Stanford's NiJaree Canady, who struck out 18 batters against Georgia on March 3. It was also the most by a Big Ten player since Sydney Sickels struck out 21 batters for Illinois on Feb. 11, 2023.

Single-game Big Ten record and career best 🤩

Courtney gets her 17th strikeout of the game to close the eighth inning.

E8| Maryland 0, #22 Penn State 0 #FearTheTurtle #FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/2q02zZbTdz
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 29, 2024

Wyche also pitched the 12th shutout and 43rd complete game of her career, while allowing just two hits. She was awarded the 50th win of her career and her ninth of the season after striking out two of Penn State's final three batters. The win was Maryland's (16-15, 3-1 B1G) second ranked win of the season after previously taking down No. 22 Oregon on March 1.

Neither team scored until Jaeda McFarland belted a double to left center to drive in the game-winning runs in the top of the ninth inning. She finished with two hits in the game.

Jaeda comes through for the Terps 🔥

A two-run RBI double gives us the LEAD in the 9th

T9| Maryland 2, #22 Penn State 0#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/XcYTgMQGmC
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 29, 2024

Megan Mikami notched a career high four hits. She added a stolen base and a run.

Diamond Williams went 3-for-5. Michaela Jones and Madison Runyan were the only other Terps to record a hit.

Penn State's (24-7, 3-1 B1G) Bridget Nemeth was handed the first loss of her career in the circle after starting off her career 14-0. Emily Maddock entered the matchup with only one strikeout in her last 94 at bats. Wyche struck her out twice in the game.

𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧

Maryland 2, #22 Penn State 0

🐢: Courtney Wyche pitches CG with a 2024 NCAA single-game high 19 K's
🐢: Jaeda McFarland goes 2-for-5 with an RBI two-run double in the 9th
🐢: Megan Mikami goes 4-for-5

📰: https://t.co/lTXCfEXGBo #FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/SvK9Mz9lY7
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 29, 2024

Breaking Down The Action

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 #𝟏𝟑

Her 13th K of the game is a season-high for Courtney as we head to the seventh still scoreless.

E6| Maryland 0, #22 Penn State 0#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/hZMQ4oVdAd
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 29, 2024

Megan Mikami stole a base in the first inning to add to her program record.
Courtney Wyche allowed just one hit through the first five innings as neither team entered the scoring column. She even struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth.
Maryland had a prime opportunity to take the lead in the top of the sixth inning with a runner in scoring position but couldn't capitalize.
The Terps had a chance to win the game in the top of the eight, with two runners on but were unable to bring the runners home.
Jaeda McFarland came up huge for the Terps in the ninth, hitting the game-winning two-run RBI double to give Maryland the first lead of the afternoon 2-0. Singles by Mikami and Madison Runyan set up McFarland with the prime opportunity.
Wyche closed out the win for the Terps and finished her career afternoon striking out nineteen batters.

Terps In The Record Books

𝗕𝟭𝗚 𝟭𝟱 for Courtney in the ⭕

Her 15th K of the day sends us to extra innings

E7| Maryland 0, #22 Penn State #FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/QEsBiZ2Ohb
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 29, 2024

Megan Mikami broke the school's stolen bases record against Virginia on March 12. She added to her career total by stealing a base and giving her 72 in her four seasons.
Courtney Wyche struck out 19 batters in the game to increase her career total to 542, which is fifth all-time. She's five strikeouts from passing Amanda Bettker (1999-2002).
Wyche is also sixth on the all-time innings pitched list with 541.2 in her career. Next on the list is Kaitlyn Schmeiser (2012-15) who pitched 578.2 innings.
Wyche received the 50th win of her career, which is fifth in program history. Next on the list is Kendra Knight (2009-12) with 51 wins.
Wyche pitched the 43rd complete game of her career, which is fifth all-time. Next on the list is Tisha Killian (1996-98) with 48 complete games.
Wyche pitched the 12th shutout of her career, placing her fifth on Maryland's all-time list. She broke a three-way tie with Jessica Aditays (2002-05) and Monica Cyphert (2001-04). Kendra Knight (2009-12) and Kerry Hickey (2008-11) are tied for fourth with 13 shutouts.

Numbers To Know

2: The Terps picked up their second ranked win of the season.
4: Megan Mikami tallied a career-high four hits.
8: Courtney Wyche is 8-0 in circle during the month of March.
12: Wyche pitched her 12th career shutout, which is fifth in program history.
19: Wyche struck out a career-high 19 batters and set the 2024 single-game high mark.
33: Mikami recorded the 33rd multi-hit game in her career.
41: Diamond Williams notched her 41th career multi-hit game.
43: Wyche pitched the 43rd complete game of her career, which is fifth in program history.
48: Jaeda McFarland tallied the 48th multi-hit game of her career.
50: Wyche earned her 50th win of her career, which is fifth in program history.
72: Mikami has 72 stolen bases in her career, which is a career program record. She also has nine stolen bases on the year.

Up Next

Maryland is back in action tomorrow, March 30 for game two of the series in State College. The game starts at 2 pm and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.