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University of Maryland Athletics

Softball Team Celebration at UCF win over Buffalo
10
Winner Maryland MARY 1-1
3
Buffalo BUFF 0-1
Winner
Maryland MARY
1-1
10
Final
3
Buffalo BUFF
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Maryland MARY 2 0 0 0 0 0 8 10 13 4
Buffalo BUFF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 2

W: Olensky, Caitlin (1-0) L: Watters, Emily (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Seventh-Inning Rally Lifts Terps To 10-3 Win Over Buffalo In First Victory Of Season

Maryland scored eight runs on seven hits in the final inning of Friday’s win in the Black and Gold Classic.

ORLANDO, FL — Down to their final three outs, the Terps strung an eight-run seventh inning together to rally for a 10-3 win over Buffalo in Maryland's second game of Friday's doubleheader in the Black and Gold Classic.

Trailing 3-2 headed into the final inning, Caitlyn Cornwell and Matti Benson led the frame off with a pair of singles, opening the door for a rally. Zayda Rocke drove in the tying run with a ball on the infield before Bailey Murphy, Mariah Penta, Gracie Wilson, Caroline Fox, and Benson all delivered RBIs as Maryland surged past the Bulls.

Benson had two of her three hits in a heroic seventh inning as the Terps' offense broke through, erasing a Buffalo lead built on a series of Maryland errors. A two-out, two-RBI double from Benson broke the game open, 10-3, and sealed the Terps' first win of the season. Maryland scored 10 or more runs in five games in 2025, and already has one to its 2026 resume.  Long before the wild rally, the Terps (1-1) got after Buffalo starter Genevieve Longsdorf early. Rocke drove an RBI double off the left-field wall in the top of the first inning for her first-career hit and RBI. A wild pitch from Longsdorf brought Sammi Woods home to score later in the frame as Maryland opened an early 2-0 lead.  Buffalo (0-1) responded with a three-run frame of its own in the bottom of the first to claim its first lead of the contest. Only one earned run crossed in the inning, but two errors in the frame gifted Buffalo two additional tallies. The Bulls' 3-2 advantage would hold until Maryland's thrilling seventh-inning rally

Maryland sent freshman arm Elisea Wiegand out to the circle to make her first-career start on Friday morning. She settled in nicely after the first inning and finished allowing only one earned run on five hits across four innings of work while fanning four. 

Nebraska transfer Caitlin Olensky took over in the circle in the fifth inning and worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam without allowing Buffalo to expand its lead. She pitched three innings of shutout ball while fanning four to earn the win in her Maryland debut. The Terps offense didn't strike out once in a game for the first time since 2014. The pitching staff, meanwhile, kept the Terps in the game by stranding 13 Bulls on the basepath. Maryland's full-team effort gives the Terps momentum to take into another doubleheader in the Black and Gold Classic on Feb. 7.

The Action:
First Inning:
  • Benson wore a pitch to become the game's first baserunner.
  • Woods smacked a single into left for the Terps' first hit of the game. 
  • Rocke's first-career hit drove in Maryland's first run of the season.
  • Woods scored on a wild pitch to open a 2-0 lead.
  • Buffalo pushed its first run across with a sacrifice fly.
  • An infield error tied the game in the opening frame. 
  • The Bulls scored on a wild pitch to claim a 3-2 lead. 
Second Inning:
  • Fox picked up her first hit as a Terp with a two-out double to right. 
  • Wiegand recorded her first-career strikeout in her scoreless frame.
Fifth Inning:
  • Olensky recorded a scoreless frame, stranding three, in her first appearance as a Terp.
Sixth Inning:
  • Olensky struck-out two as she stranded a pair of Bulls on the bases, keeping it a one-run game.
Seventh Inning:
  • Maryland opened the frame with a pair of singles. 
  • Woods bunted the two runners into scoring position with one out. 
  • Rocke drove the tying run in to tie the game at 3-3 with a grounder to third. 
  • Murphy gave the Terps a 4-3 lead with an RBI single.
  • Penta singled to expand the lead. 
  • Wilson plated Murphy with an RBI single to make it a 6-3 Maryland lead. 
  • Fox forced a fielding error to plate another. 
  • A two-out, two-RBI double from Benson put Maryland up 10-3. 
  • Olensky closed out the game to earn her first win of the season.
Impact Performances:
  • Benson (3B): 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 HBP.
  • Olensky (RP): W (1-0), 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 K, 73 pitches.
  • Penta (1B): 2-for-4, RBI, R. 
  • Weigand (SP): 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 84 pitches.
  • Rocke (C): 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, BB.
Fresh Faces:
  • Wiegand made her first collegiate appearance, starting in the circle for Maryland. 
  • North Florida transfer Logan Turner made her first appearance as a Terp, serving as the designated hitter. 
  • Olensky made her first appearance as a Terp in the circle. 
  • Appalachian State transfer Jaylee Williams pinch ran in her first appearance as a Terp.
  • Anna McGowen, an NC State transfer, pinch hit in the seventh inning.
Numbers To Know:
  • 0: The Terps didn't strike out once in the win, a feat the program hadn't done since April 13, 2014, against Northwestern. 
  • 1: Maryland's pitching staff only allowed one earned run in the win. 
  • 2: The Terps moved to 2-0 all-time against Buffalo.
  • 8: Maryland scored eight runs in the seventh inning, the program's most in a single frame since plating 10 against UMES last April.
  • 10: The Terps logged their first 10-run game of the season. They had five last year. 
  • 13: Maryland outhit Buffalo 13-8.
  • 13: Maryland's pitching staff stranded 13 Bulls on base. 
  • 31: Maryland got its 31st season in program history started on Friday. 
  • .382: The Terps hit .382 in the win. 
  • .520: Maryland hit .520 (13-25) with runners on base
  • .680: The Terps hit .680 (17-25) in advancement opportunities.
Up Next:
  • Maryland is back in action in the Black and Gold Classic with another doubleheader on Feb. 7. The Terps will first face CSU Bakersfield at 2 PM on ESPN+.
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