COLLEGE PARK, Md. — On Friday night, Maryland suffered a heartbreaking defeat losing its lead in the late stages and eventually losing the game in extra innings. The Terps were hoping for a strong bounce back performance to even the weekend series, but right from the start that dream vanished.
Northwestern scored 12 runs in the first three innings demolishing the Terps’ pitching staff en route to a 18-8 victory at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Saturday afternoon. The game ended after seven innings because of the ten run mercy rule new to conference play.
“I was proud of the way the guys kind of fought back and kept battling right there and made it a game,” said head coach Matt Swope. “Again, just over and over, just up one day, down the next and just lack consistency.”
Northwestern’s lineup dominated almost every pitcher the Terps sent to the mound finishing the game with 17 hits. Nine of those were extra base hits.
Logan Hastings was the first Terrapin arm to feel the wrath of the Wildcats’ offense.
Hastings lasted a single inning in the follow up to his longest outing of the year against Washington in his last start. Hastings pitched seven and two thirds innings allowing only five baserunners against the Huskies. He matched the total in the first inning.
Northwestern left fielder Preston Knott started the game with a double that ricocheted down the right field foul line. Owen McElfatrick walked in the next at-bat and Jackson Freeman followed that with an RBI double putting the Wildcats ahead within the first three at-bats.
Hastings’ first out of the inning came an at-bat later when he induced a lazy fly ball that was deemed an infield fly by the umpiring crew. The call saved Maryland an error as the Terps’ left side of the infield watched the high pop fly fall between them. Northwestern finished its scoring with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jack Counsell.
Hastings trekked back out to the mound to start the second inning, but loaded the bases without recording an out. Sixth year pitcher Logan Koester replaced Hastings on the mound with the freshman responsible for all three of the runners. All three of those runs touched home in Koester’s first at-bat after the righty reliever gave up a grand slam to Freeman just three pitches into his outing. Hastings’ final line held him responsible for six earned runs and three walks.
“On the staff, somebody’s got to get in there and give us some length and give us some zeroes,” Swope said.
Koester made it through the rest of the inning without allowing any more runs to score, but struggled as he started the third. Koester allowed three runners to reach base via a double and two walks while only recording one out. Devin Milberg took the mound in relief and continued Maryland’s pitching woes.
Freeman welcomed the graduate southpaw with a bases clearing double to right field, increasing his RBI total to eight. Shortstop Ryan Kucherak followed him with his first home run of the series — driving in two — putting Northwestern ahead, 12-2.
The Wildcats accumulated ten hits and six free passes through the first three innings as Maryland blew through three of its potential bullpen options hoping to find an arm that could find success against the Wildcat offense. Maryland used five arms throughout the game.
Despite the large deficit the Terps’ lineup continued to battle.
Alex Calaraco and Hollis Porter drove in Maryland’s first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first, cutting the deficit to one at the time. Porter came through again in the bottom of the third with his second RBI double of the game. Porter finished the game with three hits in his four at-bats plating half of Maryland’s eight runs.
“I’m just continuing to talk about the process [with him],” said Swope. “I think guys that haven’t been at the D1 level yet, they’ll continue to grow and get better with more reps.”
The Terps offense finished the game with 13 hits and two walks. They struck out only two times and left nine runners on base in their second straight loss of the weekend. Maryland has yet to win a weekend series this season.
Northwestern finished the game with 18 runs. The Wildcats scored six of them in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of three-run home runs from Knott and Trent Liolios. Knott ended the game a perfect four-for-four at the plate and Liolios increased his weekend home run total to three, helping the Wildcats win their second conference series of the year.
Maryland will try to salvage the final game of the series in Sunday’s matinee.
