Photo by Grayson Belanger/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.
Jordan Crosland came up to the plate in an eerily similar situation for Maryland baseball.
For the second consecutive game, Maryland had a chance to produce a walk-off win in the final frame. The sophomore lined a pitch to the shortstop, seemingly creating an inning-ending double play.
The play was immediately reviewed, and the call was overturned, sending a sea of black jerseys onto the field and securing a 10-9 win against Wagner at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium in College Park.
“You never know when your number is going to be called,” said Crosland. “Whether you’re starting in the game or coming in as a pinch hitter [or] pinch runner, you’ve got to be ready.”
Lance Williams made his third straight Friday night start for Maryland (7-6) against Wagner (1-6). The sophomore had produced strong outings in his prior two appearances, posting a 1.86 ERA through 9.2 innings.
The right-hander entered the contest, allowing just two combined runs in his prior two starts. But Williams yielded eight against Wagner. The Virginia native struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark, surrendering home runs in each of his final three innings.
Williams particularly struggled against infielder Joseph Mennella. The junior launched a pair of three-run home runs to center field in consecutive innings, with the last homer giving Wagner an 8-6 lead.
With Williams’ night ending after four innings, Maryland turned to its bullpen early. The relievers started strong for the Terps, blanking the Seahawks in four straight innings.
Ryan Bailey took the mound for Maryland to start the fifth. The sophomore held the Seahawks scoreless–the first time since the first inning–to keep the Wagner lead at one run. He continued to thrive in the following inning, retiring the side in order for the first time all game.
Junior Jayson Torres and sophomore Cristofer Cespedes pitched the final two innings, yielding just one run and giving Maryland’s offense a chance to make a comeback.
Maryland’s bats were highlighted by performances from junior Brayden Martin and freshman Bud Coombs.
Martin recorded three hits — all singles — with two RBIs. The first RBI came in the second inning. Martin ran out a chopper toward the second baseman, allowing Antonio Morales to score with two outs to tie the game at two.
“He’s a consummate pro, a consummate lead-off guy,” said Coach Matt Swope. “As he goes, we go.”
In Coombs’ second collegiate start, he also tallied three hits. His first came in the third inning. With two runners still on base, the freshman launched a three-run home run over the batter’s eye in center field, giving Maryland a 6-5 lead — its first of the game.
Coombs made an impact again in the fifth inning. A poorly fielded ground ball gave the dual-sport athlete the opportunity to show off his running-back speed, scoring from second to even the game at eight.
“You can see the way he’s running on the double and all that stuff,” said Swope. “He’s just uber-athletic. I just think he’s going to be a guy that continues to get better.”
In the following inning, Martin scored Morales a second time, giving Maryland the 9-8 lead that it would carry into the ninth.
While Wagner tied the game in the ninth inning, Crosland beat out a double play throw with the bases loaded and allowed Maryland to secure the first game of the weekend series.
The Terps will now have two opportunities to claim a series win, with their first coming at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
