Maryland baseball falls to Portland in series opener, 5-3

Zach Toglia looked to add to Portland’s lead with runners on the corners in the third inning. 

Togila scored two runs in the first inning by driving an early pitch down the left-field line and did exactly the same thing in the third, blistering another early pitch from Kenny Lippman down the left-field line to clear the bases.

Togila drove in four of his team’s first five runs, and the early lead was all Portland’s pitching staff needed to put away the Terps. Maryland baseball fell to the Pilots in the series opener on Friday, 5-3.

Portland’s starting pitcher — Nick Brink —  was absolutely dominant. He struck out seven of the first nine Maryland batters and the first 11 hitters he faced. He had Maryland’s offense lost at the plate and got them to strike out in numerous different ways, leaving the Terps visibly frustrated.

The Terps’ strikeout problems continued against the Pilots, as they finished the game with 16 strikeouts. That marked the fifth consecutive game in which the team finished with ten or more strikeouts.

Maryland finally broke through in the seventh as Sam Hojnar put runners in scoring position for the first time all game, blistering a ball down the right field line. A wild pitch in the ensuing at-bat and a fly ball from Kevin Keister allowed Maryland to cut the deficit to 5-2.

The seventh inning marked the end of Brink’s night. He finished the night pitching, allowing two runs on four hits through seven innings and 11 strikeouts.

Maryland continued to chip away in the eighth as Brayden Martin scored on a fielding error in left field by Christian Cooney. Maryland looked to climb back in the final inning for the second consecutive game, but its strikeout woes continued as all three batters in the ninth struck out.

Lippman had a rough outing in his previous start against Charlotte, producing just one out before being relieved. Lippman struggled with control against the 49ers, and his control issues remained on Friday.

Lippman hit a batter in the opening inning, and a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position early for Portland. The Pilots frequently swung early in their counts, and a pair of hits from Christian Cooney and Toglia gave Portland an early 3-0 lead.

Lippman’s inaccuracies continued into the third inning. A leadoff walk allowed Toglia to score two more RBIs on another double scorched down the left-field line. 

But Lippman wasn’t discouraged by the early damage as he settled into the game. He pitched five innings and gave up five runs on six hits. While the Terps’ bullpen settled the staff down, the early damage ultimately proved too much to overcome for Maryland.