Jacob Orr stood in the box with the count in favor of Indiana’s starter, Connor Foley. Foley fired in an offspeed offering and Orr swung out in front, almost twisting himself all the way around. Orr made the slow walk back to the dugout which was an all too familiar trek for a plethora of Maryland hitters throughout the day.
Foley struck out ten Maryland batters Saturday afternoon helping the Indiana Hoosiers (18-14, 3-2 Big Ten) beat the Maryland Terrapins (21-10, 3-5 Big Ten), 14-2. The win means that the Hoosiers win the weekend series and for the first time since 2019, the Terps lose back-to-back Big Ten weekend series.
Foley pitched an outstanding game keeping the Terps hitless through the first three innings. The only hit the sophomore right hander gave up was a slow dribbler off the bat of Orr that scampered just out of his reach. Foley kept the Maryland hitters off balance with a well located fastball and the ability to change speeds with his offspeed pitches.
“Their starting pitcher today was 93-97 [miles per hour] and hasn’t thrown his offspeed really for strikes all season and he was pitching backwards and filling it up,” said head coach Matt Swope. “I gotta give that guy credit he was elite today.”
The Maryland bats didn’t find much more success against the bullpen after Foley exited after the sixth inning. The Terps had three hits against the Indiana bullpen scoring two runs.
The Terps hitters ended the game registering four hits and four walks. Maryland had no extra base hits.
Maryland’s pitching continued its struggles giving up 11 hits, six for extra bases. Logan Koester only lasted four and a third innings giving up six earned runs on seven hits. Indiana scored its runs methodically putting up three in the first, two in the third, and one in the fifth. Despite Koester’s struggles he was able to keep Indiana from putting together a big inning.
“Logan’s been really good most of the season, he’s been our best arm going up and then even today a little bit, it was just tough,” said Swope. “It seems like when everything’s going kind of wrong or against you a little bit that’s just kind of baseball.”
That domino effect seemed to hit the bullpen as well.
The Terps ‘pen was unsuccessful at avoiding the big inning, giving up seven runs in the top of the sixth that put the game out of reach, 13-0.
Andrew Johnson started the inning on mound and immediately found himself dealing with baserunners after allowing a leadoff walk to Carter Mathison. Mathison made his way to third base on a steal and wild pitch while Johnson got his first out of the inning. Another walk put two runners on base for Tyler Cerny, and Cerny blasted a double to right center that scored both runners.
Johnson allowed one more walk before being taken out in favor of Alex Walsh. Walsh walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases with catcher Jake Stadler stepping up to the plate. Stadler hit the ball hard right to Kevin Keister who lifted his glove up a little too early and the liner bounced off his foot and into shallow left field. Two runs scored on the error.
The scoring continued in the next at bat with third baseman Josh Pyne who rocketed a 1-2 offering from Walsh past the flags in left field. Pyne ended the game going three for five driving in five runs.
The Terps bullpen gave up only one run after that but their struggles continued from Friday night when they allowed nine runs to cross the plate.
Maryland will try to avoid being swept when the two teams play the finale on Sunday. Maryland hasn’t been swept in a Big Ten series since 2019.
“I just told them, I said Hey, college baseball is about our long year and a resume and you have a chance tomorrow to go two and two in the week, you know, and if you don’t have losing weeks in college baseball and you build that resume throughout the year, you know, sweeps are about character and so is not getting swept,” said Swope.
