A disastrous seventh inning all but ended the Terps’ attempt at a third straight midweek victory losing to the VCU Rams, 15-7.

The Rams scored 12 runs in the bottom of the seventh turning their once three run deficit into a nine run advantage. Five of the runs were unearned due to four Maryland errors in the inning. 

The inning started with Garrett French taking the mound in relief of Logan Berrier. The first two batters of the inning reached base on back to back singles setting the stage for outfielder Aden Hill as the tying run. Hill took the 1-2 offering from French and deposited the baseball over the fence in left center.

The inning only got worse for the Terps. 

French allowed the next two batters to reach base and the Terps brought in Nate Haberthier to stop the Rams’ momentum. Haberthier didn’t fare much better falling victim to poor Maryland defense which included three of the Terps’ four errors (one of the three being one of his own). The four errors brought Maryland’s total to 11 for the season.

Between Haberthier and French the Terps recorded zero outs and the Rams had already batted around. Alex Walsh ended the inning allowing one run on a homer from Eli Weisner in his second at-bat of the inning. By the end Maryland trailed, 15-6. 

The debauchery that was the seventh inning put a damper on a strong start from Alabama State transfer Omar Melendez. The left handed Melendez threw four innings allowing two runs on three hits. The start was the first for Melendez in a Maryland uniform. Melendez did have one prior outing this year where he pitched three innings in relief earning his first save of the season. 

The Terps offense provided the junior starter with four runs in the second inning displaying the offense’s patient approach. Maryland worked three walks and one hit by pitch in the inning and Charlie Glennon and Eddie Hacopian capitalized.

Glennon recorded his first Maryland RBI with a groundout to first base, scoring the first run of the game. Elijah Lambros came across to score on a passed ball two batters later and then Eddie Hacopian drove in two more with a single to right center.  

Maryland’s offense went quite through the next seven frames scoring a scattered three runs in that span. Logan Berrier gave up one run in his two innings of relief starting in the fifth inning.  

Maryland will have a short time to recover from this loss as Bryant comes to College Park on Friday to start a three game weekend series.