Softball sweeps Oakland to move to 6-1

Unwilling to let early-season success fall by the wayside, the Terrapins softball team's offense did all it could yesterday to ensure any initial struggles would be mere footnotes in two blowout wins.

With the help of a pair of offensive onslaughts, the end results inside Robert E. Taylor Stadium — 7-3 and 10-2 wins — ensured a doubleheader sweep of Oakland. In both games, early ineffectiveness by Terps starters led to slow starts for the team before its offense responded with quick strikes to take down the winless Golden Grizzlies.

Pitcher Kendra Knight went the distance in the opener for her third win. She issued five walks, but overcame initial bouts of wildness to hold Oakland scoreless in the final three frames, as the Terps (6-1) pulled away.

Kaitlyn Schmeiser threw all five innings in the mercy-rule-shortened nightcap. She yielded one run in each of the first two innings, but settled down to hold the Golden Grizzlies scoreless for the remainder of the game.

"The first two innings, I was way too excited," Schmeiser (2-1) said. "My team really picked me up, especially with their defense."

Coach Laura Watten suggested that Schmeiser was pitching with a back injury, but Schmeiser dismissed the idea that it affected her performance.

"No," she insisted. "That's not an excuse."

The Terps' defense was again strong, going error-free in both games. Shortstop Kathy McLaughlin turned in the play of the night, with a full-extension snare of a line drive in the second game that energized the team.

The offense, however, proved to be the story of the day.

The Terps did it in different ways. They plated four runs in the night game's third inning on three hits, only one of which left the infield. They also benefited from a power surge, as the team sent three balls over the fence in the two games.

Catcher Shannon Bustillos had five hits in all, including a home run down the left-field line in the first game. Infielder Bree Hanafin hit one of her own in the sixth inning, a solo shot to center field. Infielder Candace Beards won the long-distance competition with a moonshot over the scoreboard in the nightcap's five-run fourth inning.

It was another all-around offensive effort for a Terps squad that has thrived on equal production. All but one starter had at least one hit in the second game.

"Our offense is amazing me this year," Schmeiser said. "We kept getting those runs in bunches and kept coming back and just kept chipping away."

Watten recognized the importance of continuing last weekend's success — four wins, including two against ranked teams — through the rest of the season. The fact that the team registered two votes for this week's Top 25 is encouraging to her as well. Still, her day-by-day mantra is unwavering.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint," Watten said. "It's great to get votes, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish."

She could have just as easily been talking about today's games, instead of the whole season. Watten didn't seem overly concerned with the sluggish start to the two wins.

"It's early, it's our first home game. It's a different stage, different kind of feel," she said. "Once we got our energy going in the right direction, we were good."

The Terps return to action tomorrow against Southern Illinois and Marshall in Kissimmee, Fla., in the ESPN Citrus Classic. The strong start already has some thinking big.

"I've been coming and watching games since I was 8 years old," Schmeiser said. "By far, this is the best team I've ever seen."

benscher@umdbk.com