Maryland baseball sweeps doubleheader over Charlotte to claim series win

With the weekend series on the line, Logan Berrier looked to preserve Maryland’s one-run lead in the final inning of the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. He did just that, inducing three straight outs to close out the 3-2 win and the weekend series.

Maryland baseball (12-4) rebounded following its series-opening loss to Charlotte (8-8). Timely hitting and strong pitching allowed the Terps to sweep the doubleheader and stay undefeated in their weekend series this season.

“You gotta give them a lot of credit, especially after Friday…and having to sit on that all day Saturday,” coach Matt Swope said. “It’s definitely not easy, but the guys came out and battled early on in game one and got some momentum and put them away and you just can’t say enough in game two.”

Game One

Maryland’s offense exploded in the first game of the Sunday doubleheader. After Friday’s lackluster offensive performance, the lineup had a strong rebound performance. 

The Terps scored 13 runs, with eight batters notching a hit and all nine reaching base. Maryland cruised past Charlotte with its offensive explosion, defeating the 49ers in game one, 13-2.

The Terps’ 13 runs was their highest total since their 14-run game against Georgetown nearly two weeks ago. Maryland found numerous ways to get on base, notching 13 hits, drawing seven walks and recording four hit by pitches. 

Nine of the Terps’ runs came on long blasts — they came into the day averaging just one home run per game. Three of Maryland’s homers came from the Hacopian brothers, who combined for seven RBIs.

Eddie Hacopian finished the game with two hits and three RBIs. Two of his RBIs came on a two-run home run, and his third RBI came on a walk in the second inning. The junior has found numerous ways to get on base all year, which is why he leads the team in batting average, hits, RBIs, walks and on-base percentage among players with five or more starts.

Chris Hacopian had a three-hit day, including four RBIs on two home runs to left field. His two home runs tied him for the team lead in homers with four — the former gave the Terps an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Three more runs by the end of the frame extended the advantage to 4-0.

Maryland’s offense kept rolling the following inning. Elijah Lambros — who had two hits and two RBIs in the series opener — continued to swing a hot bat, belting a two-run home run of the year off the light post in left field for his first homer this season. 

Lambros said he made some adjustments with Swope before Friday’s game and they paid off during the weekend.

The Terps’ bats went quiet for multiple innings but then exploded again over the final two frames. 

Eddie Hacopian’s first home run of the season and an Alex Calarco sacrifice fly provided three runs in the top of the eighth. And back-to-back home runs from Chris Hacopian and Calarco effectively sealed the win.

Logan Koester was the beneficiary of Maryland’s offensive explosion as its starter on the mound. Koester allowed just five hits through six innings, surrendering two runs en route to his fourth win this season. 

Koester continued to produce strong outings for the Terps, as he has gone at least four innings in all of his outings and allowed two or fewer earned runs in three of his four starts.

Game Two

A strong relief outing from Berrier saved the Terps in the second game of the doubleheader. Berrier went four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. Berrier picked up his first save of the season as he retired the 49ers in order including striking out the final two batters.

After the game, Lambros called Berrier’s performance “just eclectic.”

Berrier shut down the 49ers’ offense, allowing the Terps to regain the lead in the sixth and stay ahead the rest of the way. 

“We knew he was going to have to empty the tank,” Swope said. “I just tried to tell him between innings, hey man, just keep breathing. You’re not done.”

Joey McMannis also made a strong bounce-back performance after his tough outing against Bryant. McMannis went three-plus innings, allowing one run on four hits before being relieved by Berrier. 

Like in the first game on Sunday, the Terps grabbed the game’s first run in game two. Brayden Martin broke the scoreless tie in the third inning with a base hit into right field to score Charlie Glennon from second. 

Eddie Hacopian dazzled at the plate in game one. But he made a pair of costly errors in the bottom of the fourth that allowed the 49ers to go ahead.

Hacopian dropped a Carson Bayne fly ball, who then scored the next at bat on a Brandon Stahlman RBI single to left. Another Hacopian miscue in the field on a base hit brought home Stahlman for Charlotte’s first lead in either game on the day.

But Maryland answered in the sixth inning. Chris Hacopian’s second hit of the game and his fifth in the doubleheader put him in immediate scoring position, and he later scored as Kevin Keister tied the game on a double just over the head of a leaping Dante DeFranco in right. 

Lambros pushed the Terps in front the following at-bat as he lined a base hit to right to score Keister from second.

Hacopian’s errors halted McMannis’ start, who allowed just one hit through three innings before the miscues ultimately ended his day.

Berrier stymied the 49ers for the rest of the game. Most notable was the final inning, when he produced a one-two-three inning, giving Maryland a stress-free inning for the Terps.