The events that unfolded in the top of the fourth inning in Maryland’s 4-0 loss to East Carolina (16-4) on Sunday summed up the Terps’ season-long offensive struggles.
With two runners on,no one out and the heart of the lineup coming up, Maryland (9-10) looked prime to put up a few runs on Pirates’ starter Tyler Smith. However, Nick Dunn was quickly picked off second base after he strayed too far off the bag, and AJ Lee whiffed on his bunt attempt. Lee struck out later in the at-bat, and Marty Costes followed up with a strikeout of his own to end the rally.
This situation has become all too familiar for the Terps, whose offense continues to disappear with players on the base paths. During this week’s action, the lineup has only seven hits in over 60 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Although the Terps are clearly struggling to put up runs, running into an East Carolina pitching staff that is clicking on all cylinders did not help Maryland’s case. Much like Friday and Saturday, the Pirates’ pitchers were dominant as they kept the opposing lineup scoreless for the second time in three days.
Sophomore Tyler Smith got the start for the Pirates on Sunday, his second of the season, going 5 ⅔ innings and striking out seven. Senior Ryan Ross relieved Smith in the top of the sixth, worked out of a jam by striking out Terp third baseman Taylor Wright with two runners on, and then closed out the game by pitching 3 ⅓ scoreless innings.
Despite the shutout and a fourth consecutive loss, Hunter Parsons’ continued success on the mound gives Maryland something positive to take away from this game. Following a tough start to the season in Tennessee, where the junior right-hander lasted only 1 ⅓ giving up eight runs, Parsons pitched seven scoreless innings and then a complete game in the two contests prior to Sunday’s match.
Against the Pirates, he continued to be the best Terps pitcher of late, going seven innings and only giving up one earned run, but taking the loss due to Maryland’s inability to lend him any run support.
Freshman Sean Fisher pitched the eighth for the Terps, allowing one run in his inning of work.
East Carolina did not hit the ball as well as it did on Saturday, when the team scored 18 runs, but found a way to manufacture enough offense to cruise to a comfortable victory. The Pirates scored their runs on a fielder’s choice, a sacrifice-fly and RBI singles by Dusty Baker and Connor Litton.
Maryland’s defense helped manufacture some of those runs, making three errors on the day and putting East Carolina runners in scoring position.
The Terps will stay in North Carolina as they take on the Tar Heels on Tuesday in Chapel Hill at 6 p.m., hoping to stop the four game slide.
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