The Maryland softball team dropped to 0-7 after its double header losses Friday in the first day of the Aquafina Invitational. It’s Maryland’s worst start since at least 1999. The Terps fell to Florida International, 6-1, before losing to Northwestern State, 13-2, in six innings.

In both matchups, the Terps had plenty of runners on base but struggled to score. Against FIU, Maryland stranded eight runners, and the Terps left 12 versus Northwestern State.

Against FIU, infielder Juli Strange, catcher Kristina Dillard and pitcher Madison Martin led with 2-for-3 marks at the plate. Seven Terps had hits in the game, out-hitting FIU, 10-7.

The Panthers got on the board in the second inning with two unearned runs after Jordan Aughinbaugh made an error at first. FIU added another point in the fifth inning.

Maryland got one run across the plate in the sixth. After three straight one-out singles, the Terps had bases loaded and forced the Panthers into a pitching change. Pitcher Hannah Dewey reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring infielder Anna Kufta. But with two outs, pinch hitter Andi Jarvis struck out, stranding two runners.

After a strikeout to start the sixth inning, coach Julie Wright replaced Dewey with pitcher Lauren Graves. Without another hit in the inning, FIU drove in three runs to open a 6-1 advantage. Two runners scored with bases-loaded walks before Martin entered the circle for the Terps and allowed a fielder’s choice to score the third.

Later in the afternoon against Northwestern State, Maryland scored first. Outfielder Amanda Brashear led off the game with a triple, her first of two hits in the contest, and the Terps loaded the bases with two outs. Outfielder Kassidy Cross hit the first RBI of her college career to score Brashear from third. Infielder Juli Strange flied out to end the bases loaded threat.

The lead quickly vanished as Northwestern State scored seven runs in the second inning. A three-run triple by outfielder Kellye Kincannon led to an early exit for pitcher Ari Jarvis with the game already blown open at 7-1.

Kufta hit a solo home run to start the bottom of the third, her third homer of the year, but Northwestern State controlled the rest of the game. The Demons added six runs before the game was called in the sixth, 13-2.

Maryland will play Florida A&M and No. 1 Florida on Saturday to finish the Aquafina Invitational.