Jacob Orr stepped to the plate two for two on the day with a single and double. Orr facing the lefty Ryan Partridge belted a ball to left field. At first glance it looked to be a homer but instead it crashed against the wall along with the left fielder, bouncing off the wall for a two out triple.
Orr’s third hit of the game sparked a historic three-run eighth inning that helped No. 20 Maryland claim sole possession of the Big Ten Championship, beating Penn State, 7-4.
“Really proud of these guys,” said head coach Rob Vaughn. “I feel like this group deserved to kind of sit at the top alone and we’re really proud of them and excited for them.”
The Terps entered their regular season finale following a 5-3 loss to Penn State on Friday. Maryland had a 3-2 lead for one half inning in the game, being held scoreless in the final four frames.
Despite the loss, the Terps received good news later in the day. Michigan State defeated Indiana, giving the Terps a share of the Big Ten Championship and awarding them the one seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
The starter standing in the Terps way was Jordan Morales. Morales went to the bump for the tenth time as a starter to face Maryland for the second time in the series. Morales pitched two innings against the Terps on Thursday allowing two earned runs while recording three walks and strikeouts.
Morales’ opposition was righty Ryan Van Buren. Van Buren made his second weekend start in a row after filling in for Kyle McCoy last weekend. Van Buren pitched two and two thirds innings against Minnesota last Sunday holding the Golden Gophers to one run.
The Nittany Lions’ got to Van Buren in the second inning after the sophomore pitched through trouble in the first. Penn State shortstop Jay Harry got the bottom of the second started with a single up the middle. Harry stole second and advanced to third on an error by Shliger on the throw putting a runner at third with one out.
Van Buren looked like he may escape the trouble after striking out the third batter of the inning, but the nine hole hitter, C.J. Pittaro laced a triple to the deepest part of center. The Nittany Lion designated hitter gave Penn State the first lead of the game, 1-0.
The Terps responded by manufacturing their first run of the game in the top of the third. Luke Shliger and Matt Shaw started the inning reaching base safely. A Nick Lorusso flyout to right allowed both runners to tag up and Ian Petrutz drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to the same place.
Maryland took the lead in the next inning against a new pitcher, Steven Miller. Miller came on in relief of Morales after the lefty gave up the tying run an inning before. Matt Woods was the first batter the righty faced and Woods deposited the (2-0) offering over the wall in right field giving the Terps’ their first lead of the game.
That lead vanished in the bottom half of the inning as Van Buren was unable to navigate fourth inning trouble. Pittaro drove in the first run of the half inning with a single that struck Van Buren in the left foot. Penn State scored two more after that due to sloppy Maryland defense.
A ball hit by Johnny Piacentino squeezed under the glove of Nick Lorusso and Jacob Orr bobbled the ball in the left field. The defensive struggles allowed two runners to score and ended Van Buren’s outing. Andrew Johnson came on to get the final out of the inning, but not before Penn State reclaimed the lead.
Needing a response, Elijah Lambros, delivered in the top of the sixth with his fourteenth home run of the season, a two-run shot that tied the game, 4-4.
The Terps continued to score in the eighth putting up three runs in to start the inning. Lorusso drove in two of those runs, plating his 95th and 96th RBI of the season. Lorusso’s two RBI single made him the new Big Ten single season RBI record holder passing Mike Smith who held the previous record with 95 RBI.
“The best player in our conference came up with a big-time, two-out, RBI knock,” said Vaughn.
The Terps turned to David Falco Jr. to close out the game and he did just that, pitching two innings without allowing a run. The win closed out Maryland’s regular season, finishing with a 37-19 record.
Maryland will have two days off before starting the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday.
“I think they’re excited,” said Vaughn. “That’s the big thing I want to see out of them.”
