With Maryland and Ohio State in a deadlock at one run apiece, Ian Petrutz stepped up to the plate looking to do some damage.
The sophomore placed a single through the right side, bringing in a run and giving the Terps a 2-1 advantage.
But the scoring didn’t stop there, as Eddie Hacopian quickly followed up with an infield single, plating another run to put the Buckeyes in a two-run hole in the top of the eighth.
Those two runs proved to be key insurance in the end, as Ohio State got one run back in the bottom of the eighth but not a second, as Maryland baseball (21-13, 6-2 Big Ten) squeaked out a Saturday victory over Ohio State (17-17, 2-9 Big Ten), 3-2.
Nick Dean threw a gutsy 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and giving all he had in a 103-pitch effort. Kenny Lippman and David Falco teamed up to allow just one run over the remaining 4.2 innings as the Maryland pitching staff turned in a commendable performance on the mound.
“We weren’t elite, honestly, in the last two days, but we won in some different ways and our pitching was absolutely outstanding,” coach Rob Vaughn said.
While it wasn’t the usual offensive onslaught for Maryland, a homer from Zach Martin and the RBI singles from Petrutz and Hacopian were enough to clinch the Terps’ third-straight series win to begin conference play.
Neither side produced much offense early on, with Dean and Ohio State starter Jonah Jenkins trading blows against their respective lineups. A few highlight plays defensively from both sides also kept some runners off the basepaths.
The Buckeyes’ offense started to brew in the bottom of the fourth, working the bases loaded with no outs after a double, a walk and a bunt single. But Dean hunkered down, inducing a popout and striking out the final two batters of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
“Just a gutty, gutty performance,” Vaughn said of Dean. “He made some really good pitches in some really good spots … that’s what a senior’s supposed to do. He’s a superstar and I’m really proud of his toughness and what he gave us today.”
After Dean’s remarkable inning, Martin gave his starter some much-needed run support in the top half of the fifth. Martin sent a looping fly ball over the right field fence to break the scoreless tie, putting his team up 1-0.
Martin once again stepped up big on Saturday in the continued absence of fifth-year right fielder Matt Woods. The sophomore recorded his eighth hit and his second home run since entering the lineup against Rutgers last Friday.
Things held firm until the bottom of the sixth, when Dean began to run out of gas. With his pitch count nearing the century mark, the senior right-hander allowed two singles and two walks, bringing in the Buckeyes’ first run of the afternoon.
Vaughn took the ball from Dean before things escalated, bringing in Lippman to escape yet another bases-loaded jam.
Once again, a Maryland pitcher came up clutch, as Lippman recorded two-straight outs to end the frame and limit Ohio State to just one run.
Sophomore utilityman Jacob Orr, who pinch hit for senior left fielder Bobby Zmarzlak in the top of the seventh and took Zmarzlak’s spot in the field, connected with junior shortstop Matt Shaw to save a run in the bottom half of the inning. Orr flagged down a ball hit out to left field with a runner on first, quickly relaying the ball in to throw the runner out at home, keeping things even at one.
The Terps’ offense scored its first runs since the fifth inning in the top of the eighth to take a 3-1 lead. Petrutz and Hacopian hit back-to-back singles, scoring two runs to give the Terps some necessary breathing room.
“[Petrutz] is a huge piece of this offense,” Vaughn said. “And in a big moment, he had a really mature at-bat.”
Ohio State got a run back off Lippman in the bottom half of the frame. Senior right fielder Mitchell Okuley powered one over the wall in right, cutting Maryland’s lead to just one.
After Lippman struck out the next batter, Falco came in looking to shut the door with a four-out save.
Falco did just that, securing Maryland another Big Ten series victory and its sixth win of conference play.
“When you have kids that make it a heck of a lot more about the team than they do their individual successes, you have a chance to be pretty good,” Vaughn said.
