After countless blown opportunities this past weekend, Maryland baseball’s offense finally showed signs of life Tuesday – even putting No. 9 Virginia on upset alert. 

Five Terps had multi-hit games, led by Ryan Costello’s two-hit, two-double day. But when it mattered most, the offense went cold. 

Despite holding a lead after six innings, Maryland could not muster any baserunners over the final two innings, while the bullpen collapsed. Virginia scored nine runs in the eighth inning en route to a 16-6 mercy rule victory over Maryland.

“I thought we played really well until that eighth inning,” said head coach Matt Swope. “For the most part, it was an excellent game.”

The Terps have now been mercy-ruled in three of their last four games. 

The Cavaliers got on the board first with an RBI single by Kyle Johnson. That lead did not hold for long, as the Terps’ offense got to work. 

Ty Kaunas ripped an RBI single up the middle before Ryan Costello continued his All-Big 10 worthy season with an RBI double. 

Virginia starting pitcher Jayden Stroman could not make it through this inning. He finished after throwing just 2 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs, two of which were earned on six hits. 

However, Maryland starter Nic Morlang ran into some trouble of his own in the third. He was quickly pulled for Brayden Ryan, who allowed RBI singles to AJ Gracia, Sam Harris, and Joe Tiroly, giving Virginia the lead right back. 

That left Morlang’s final stat line at 2 ⅓ innings, three earned runs, and only 44 pitches. 

Jackson Sirios managed a sacrifice fly to tie up the game, but Gracia knocked another RBI single for the Cavaliers to regain the lead. 

Gracia was on fire for the Cavaliers today, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

However, the Terps’ offense was not going to go down without a fight. Aden Hill’s RBI double helped the Terps retake a one-run lead. 

But Ryan Bailey was not able to hold the Cavalier bats. Harrison Didawick hit a two-strike, two-out RBI double to tie up the game. Noah Murray then drove in Didawick on an RBI single. While the Terps’ bats fluttered, Virginia’s bats woke up. 

They plated five runs in the eighth off of Logan Hastings, headlined with a three RBI double by Joe Tiroly. Murray also added another RBI single. They were not done, as when Landon Edwards entered, they kept hitting. Four more runs came in to score off Edwards, and Eric Becker ended the game with a mercy-walkoff two RBI double. 

“We gotta be able to finish the game and not get rugpulled in that eighth inning,” said Swope. 

This was the Terps’ fourth straight game against a ranked opponent, with three more still to come this weekend against No. 12 USC.