Terps Fall 6-5 in Walk-Off Fashion to Wisconsin

Friday, March 27

Madison, WI

5 PM

Maryland

13-8, 0

Wisconsin

17-11, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Maryland	1	0	0	0	2	0	2	5	7	0
Wisconsin	0	0	3	1	0	0	2	6	9	0

3/27/2026 5:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Mariah Penta and Anna McGowan provided heroics in the top of the seventh, but the Badgers rallied to take the series opener.

MADISON, WI — A wild Friday night game went Wisconsin's way as the Badgers walked off the Terps 6-5. Both Mariah Penta and Matti Benson logged multi-hit games, but Wisconsin dropped Maryland to 13-18, (1-9 Big Ten) in 2026.

Two hits and two walks by the Terps in the top of the seventh gave Maryland its first lead since the first inning. Penta's RBI double extended Friday's game before Anna McGowan gave the Terps a lead with a sac-fly, but Wisconsin plated a pair in the home half of the inning to grab the series-opening win.

⬆️7️⃣ OFF THE WALL MARIAH PENTA TIES IT!!🤗

UMD 4 | UW 4#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/SgiXTvxS1o
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 27, 2026

Maryland pushed the first run of the game across in the first inning. Penta and Benson both singled in the opening frame as Benson collected her 18th RBI of the season and opened the scoring.

Caitlin Olensky only relented four hits in her four-inning outing in the circle, but two of them left the yard as Wisconsin used a three-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fourth to claim a 4-1 lead. Elisea Wiegand pitched the final three frames for the Terps, and kept the Badgers from adding any additional damage until the final inning.

⬇️2️⃣ 1-3 DOUBLE PLAY🤩

UMD 1 | UW 0#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/Z8edoiQS1Y
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 27, 2026

The Terps got the bats going again in the fifth inning with a two-run frame. Caitlyn Cornwell and Bailey Murphy led the inning off with back-to-back hits before Sammi Woods plated Cornwell with an RBI single. Penta drove Murphy in with a sac-fly as the Terps cut UW's lead to 4-3.

⬆️5️⃣ RBI single for Sammi😈

UW 4 | UMD 2#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/uUFwaTfaGe
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 27, 2026

Wisconsin (17-11, 3-4 Big Ten) got the walk-off win, but the Terps get another crack at the Badgers on Saturday at 1 PM.

How it Happened:

T1: Singles from Penta and Benson pushed the game's first run across.
B2: Maryland used a 1-3 double play to end the frame as Olensky faced the minimum.
B3: Wisconsin took its first lead with a three-run homer.
T4: Benson picked up her second hit with a bunt single.
B4: Wisconsin added to its lead with a solo homer.
T5: The Terps opened the inning with three consecutive hits from Cornwell, Murphy, and Woods to cut the Badgers' lead to 4-2.
T5: Penta made it a one-run game with a sac-fly.
T7: Cornwell led the inning off with a walk and advanced on a sac-bunt from Murphy.
T7: Penta's RBI double plated the tying run.
T7: McGowan's sac-fly gave Maryland a 5-4 lead.
B7: Wisconsin plated two to win the game.