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Matti Benson Grand Slam Walkoff Lifts The Terps Over The Revolutionaries

The Maryland Terrapins softball team clutched up in the tenth inning to earn a big-time win in the clutch.
Jaden Golding|
George Washington at Maryland | HIGHLIGHTS | Big Ten Softball | 03/18/2026
George Washington at Maryland | HIGHLIGHTS | Big Ten Softball | 03/18/2026 | Big Ten Network

Matti Benson came up to the plate with the bases loaded and only one out in the tenth inning. Mariah Penta had hit an RBI sacrifice fly two appearances earlier at the plate to tie the game up 7-7. Benson received a pitch down the middle of the plate and connected with a shot out to right field, lifting the Terps to an 11-7 walkoff win on Wednesday night at Maryland Softball Stadium.

Maryland (13-14, 1-5 Big Ten) ended a three-game skid after dropping their previous three-game series to Washington. Meanwhile, George Washington drops to 13-10 on the season.

Benson had a big game, finishing 4-for-6 at the plate, scoring three runs, and with seven RBIs. Not only did Benson launch her third homer of the year, but her seven RBI outing tied a program single-game record previously marked by Amber Jackson in a 9-1 dominant win against East Carolina back in the 2007 season. Benson also hit two homers in the matchup, marking a new career-best.

The game was a back-and-forth affair and featured seven lead changes.

Elisea Wiegand and Aubrey Wurst split the first eight innings in the circle.

Wiegand made her 10th start in the circle, struck out five batters, and surrendered four runs on only three hits.

Wurst came out of the bullpen in the fifth, allowing only two runs, forcing six groundouts and four flyouts in four innings of work.

The Terps tied the game in the seventh after a key bunt single by Logan Turner loaded the bases, capped by a fielder's choice that brought Lauren Caye home.

Runs traded by the Revolutionaries and Terps in the eighth made it a 6-6 contest. The ninth inning went scoreless for both teams as they entered the second extended period in the tenth.

Emi Todoroki hit an RBI single out to left field, advancing to second on the throw and putting George Washington ahead once again by a run. Keira Bucher, who stepped into the circle in the ninth, struck out four batters and was able to punch out the final two batters to finish out the tenth.

With runners on first and third base, it set up Mariah Penta for an RBI sacrifice fly, tying the contest back up, leading into the game-winning appearance by Benson.

Key Team Stats

  • Maryland outhit George Washington 17-8.
  • The Terps had 10 RBIs to the Revolutionaries' four.
  • Maryland left 12 runners on base.
  • Bailey Murphy went 3-for-6 at the plate and scored two runs.
  • Mariah Penta finished 3-for-4 at bat with two RBIs.

Up Next:

Maryland welcomes Big Ten conference foe Indiana to College Park to start the first of a three-game series tomorrow. First pitch is at 6 p.m.

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Published | Modified
Jaden Golding
JADEN GOLDING

Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.

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