Wednesday’s trip to College Park, Md., did not start well or end well for the Georgetown softball team (9-28, 3-2 Big East). The Blue and Gray started the double-header against local rival Maryland (22-12, 2-3 ACC) by giving up nine runs in the bottom of the first and ended the day with two more losses tacked on to their already suffering record.
It took one inning to put game one out of reach for the Hoyas. After an uneventful top of the first where the Hoyas went three up, three down, junior right-handed pitcher Mackensey Carter took to the circle for the Blue and Gray. Carter, who had an impressive weekend series against Villanova, could not seem to find her groove and allowed nine runs off of eight hits in the bottom of the first.
The Lady Terps were led by sophomore infielder Lexi Carroll, who hit a long three-run homer in the bottom of the first, and freshman first baseman Candice Beards, who added three RBIs of her own.
After the Terps tacked on one more run in the second, Head Coach Pat Conlan made the pitching change from Carter to freshman pitcher Blair Sirockman who held Maryland scoreless in the third and fourth.
Maryland freshman pitcher Ashley Czechner kept the Hoya offense silent, allowing just one hit, a double by freshman third baseman Jenna Stark in the fifth. The Blue and Gray could not capitalize on Stark’s hit, though, and the game ended after five innings with the visiting Hoyas down 10-0.
Game two was not nearly as ugly for the Blue and Gray pitching staff, but it still ended with the team’s 28th loss of the year. Senior left-handed pitcher Melissa Conners started the game for the Hoyas and did not allow an earned run, but first-inning miscues cost the visitors. The Terrapins loaded the bases in the opening frame thanks to two errors and scored the game’s lone run when Conners hit sophomore leftfielder Nikki Maier to plate freshman centerfielder Amanda McCann.
Although Conners held Maryland in check for the rest of the game, the Georgetown offense continued to struggle. They matched the Terps with six hits in game two, but could not string enough together to create any scoring of their own. Stark was again the offensive bright spot for the Hoyas, notching two hits and earning a walk in three plate appearances.
The best chance for the Blue and Gray to score their first run of the day came in the last inning of the day. After freshman shortstop Alexandria Anttila opened the inning by striking out, sophomore catcher Shikara Lowe and Stark breathed some life into a flailing Georgetown attack with a single and double, respectively. The Blue and Gray’s inability to get the big hit hurt them again, though, as a strikeout and groundout ended the threat and the Hoyas dropped their 28th game of the season.
The Hoyas head to Tampa, Fla., this weekend to take on the South Florida Bulls. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow.
