Maryland baseball implodes late in 8-7 loss to Michigan

Photo courtesy of Norah Copenhaver/Maryland Athletics.

Maryland baseball (22-26, 6-18 B1G) was one out away from taking the final game in its weekend series against Michigan.

Then it all fell apart.

The Wolverines (30-17, 15-9 B1G) stunned the Terps in the ninth inning with a two out, three-run rally, beating Maryland 8-7 and clinching the series sweep.

The Terps entered the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead built behind a long comeback effort. Michigan had a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning – Maryland posted two runs in three consecutive innings to build a two-run lead. Second baseman David Mendez drilled a two-run home run to give the Terps their only lead of the day – he was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks.

When Carson Luna was called out at second on a steal attempt, Maryland appeared to have won the game. A video replay review reversed the call, and Michigan took advantage of its second chance. Evan Haeger finished his at-bat with a walk, and Brayden Jefferis scored Luna with a single. Ryan Bailey came in to close the game  but couldn’t save the Terps – he gave up a two-run double to Joonsung Park.

Maryland got two baserunners in the bottom of the ninth, but was unable to score.

“They’re there, they feel the pain,” head coach Matt Swope said. “[I] just told them to stick together. I mean, as a coach you can’t say much there.”

Logan Hastings got his third start of the season since transitioning to the rotation two weeks ago. He held the Wolverines scoreless in every inning except the third, when Michigan was able to rally for four runs behind a Colby Turner two-RBI home run. Hastings ended the day with five runs allowed on five hits after five innings of work.

The series against Michigan is the first time in four weeks that an opponent has swept the Terps. The last opponent to do so was Ohio State – Swope convened what he later called “Soul Searching Sunday” afterwards in an effort to rally his team after a poor start to the season. It is also their first weekend series since March where the offense did not score ten runs or more in at least one game.

Maryland’s next weekend series is against Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ, but first they will face Towson in a midweek road game.