By Ari Plotkin and Noah Craft

Maryland baseball had a rough two days at the plate, going just 4-22 with runners on base on Friday and Saturday against Iowa. 

The Terps’ poor hitting resulted in just six runs over two days, leading to a 14-4 run-rule loss in Friday’s game, which was resumed Saturday after a weather delay, and a 5-2 loss in Saturday’s full game at Duane Banks Field. 

“You got to manufacture runs. You got to bunt, move guys over, get guys on,” said head coach Matt Swope. “Even though we didn’t punch a ton today, we didn’t string a lot along.”

The day started with a resumption of Friday’s affair. The Terps were losing 6-4 when the game was resumed in the middle of the sixth inning. 

Friday starter Evan Smith had struggled, allowing all six runs. The Terps were hanging around, however, fueled by a two-RBI single from David Mendez, an RBI double from Ty Kaunas, and a solo homer off the bat of Nate Hawton-Henley.

That two-run difference was the closest the game got Saturday, as the Terps gave up eight runs in three innings to lose 14-4 in eight innings. Ryan Bailey, James Gladden, and Peyton Mamula all gave up multiple runs as the Terps were run-ruled to begin their Saturday. 

During the second game of the day, the momentum remained in Iowa’s favor early. 

The Hawkeyes took an early lead on an RBI single off Terps starting pitcher Logan Hastings. The Terps ace settled in until the fifth inning. 

“I thought [his start] was pretty gutsy,” said Swope. “He was able to manage the traffic and get out of jams.”

Iowa started off the fifth with three straight singles. They then scored on a fielder’s choice, followed by another single by Carter Geffre that drove in two. Hastings escaped the inning, but his day was over. 

He went just five innings, allowing four runs, three earned, while striking out four. In just his second start since returning to the rotation, Hastings showed why he is an important piece to Maryland’s staff. 

Meanwhile, Iowa’s starting pitcher, Maddux Frese, dominated the Terps. This was just his fourth, and undoubtedly his best start of the season. Frese went seven strong innings, giving up only one run and allowing very little traffic on the basepaths. Against Frese, the Terps went 0-for-11 with runners on base, compared to 10-of-24 for the Hawkeyes. 

The Terps struggled to maintain any sort of traffic on the basepaths. Their first runner in scoring position was in the fifth inning on a double by Mendez. However, he was left stranded at second base. 

Offensively, Maryland finally scored their first run of the day in the sixth inning. Bud Coombs, getting his first start since he got hurt against Ohio St. on April 3, launched a solo homerun to get the Terps on the scoreboard. 

That made it a three-run game, but Cristofer Cespedes came in for the Terps and immediately gave up an RBI double. Cespedes continued to flirt with trouble, but the RBI double was the only run he gave up in three innings of work. 

Kaunas hit a solo homerun in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late for the Terps. 

The Terps will look to salvage the series with a win Sunday in hopes of staying out of last place in the Big Ten.