Photo courtesy of Dylan Davies/Maryland Terrapins
After scoring two runs, the Terps went into the bottom of the sixth inning with a seemingly untouchable lead. Three innings later, Ryan van Buren was staring down the game-winning run at the plate.
Maryland (26-27, 11-16 Big Ten) finished the weekend perfect against the Minnesota Golden Gophers after fending off an eight-run comeback, getting the win on the road 11-10.
The Terps got the scoring started in the second inning with a bases-loaded, two-RBI single from Elijah Lambros, scoring Aden Hill and Alex Calarco to put the Terps up 2-0.
The Terps seemed to have their baserunner-stranding problems solved, leaving just nine runners on base the entire game. In last week’s series against Penn State, Maryland struggled to score runners in scoring position. The Terps scored at least one run in three of the four bases-loaded situations they faced Sunday.
The Golden Gophers got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when designated hitter Jake Perry scored centerfielder Easton Richter on a sac fly. However, it would be the only run they would be able to score off of Terps starter Omar Melendez for the next four innings.
Melendez ended up throwing 90 pitches, allowing just one run through five innings before giving up back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Although he was only able to strike out three batters, Minnesota was unable to get any quality contact off of him, managing just one extra base hit before the sixth.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Terps held a 9-1 lead with a chance to end the game in seven innings. But the inning ended with the Terps hanging on to a 9-7 lead.
Omar Melendez got pulled from the game after throwing 90 pitches and giving up two home runs in the sixth. Andrew Koshy came into the game, and he gave up a three-run home run to bring the inning run total to six.
After allowing three more runs in the eighth to put the game at 11-10, van Buren earned the save, his second of the season. After the three runs in the eighth inning, van Buren has now given up the third-most earned runs of all Maryland pitchers.
The Terps will come back home on May 15 for a three-game series against Rutgers, their final of the season.
