Maryland baseball uses entire lineup to down Maine, 5-4

Leading 5-4 in the top of the ninth, Nigel Belgrave took the mound for Maryland hoping to shut the door.

The redshirt sophomore walked Jeremiah Jenkins to leadoff the inning. Connor Goodman followed with a single through the right side, advancing Jenkins to third. The Black Bears then loaded bases after Belgrave walked Jeff Mejia.

With no outs and the bases loaded, Belgrave struck out Myles Sargent and Colin Plante, needing only one more out to close the game. 

With a 2-2 count, Belgrave delivered, striking out Dean O’Neill for his fourth strikeout of the game in just as many outs.

“Nigel didn’t flinch, I didn’t see any nerves out here,” coach Rob Vaughn said. “He’s worked his tail off both with the mental side and the physical side to be able to stay in that game and finish it.”

Maryland baseball defeated Maine 5-4 Saturday afternoon, clinching the series victory. The Terps improved to 7-7 on the season while the Black Bears fell to 3-8. 

The Terps continued the scoring from the night before in the first inning. In the second at bat of the bottom half of the first, third baseman Nick Lorusso crushed a two-run home run into center for the first runs of the game. 

The homer was Lorusso’s seventh on the season, the team lead. The senior had two in the first game of the series against Maine Friday night. 

“I’m just thankful that professional scouts really messed it up last year because that guy should be hitting in double A right now,” Vaughn said postgame. 

Following the home run, junior shortstop Matt Shaw recorded his seventh double of the season. After advancing to third, Shaw reached home off an RBI single by junior second baseman Kevin Keister. 

The Black Bears responded with a two-run homer of their own in the second. With one out, Sargent launched a homer into left-center, bringing the Black Bears deficit to one.

Maine then tied the game three at-bats later with an RBI double into center field by fifth-year centerfielder Dylan McNary.

The Black Bears entered scoring position again in the third frame. 

With two outs, Maine had runners on second and third following a walk by junior second baseman Quinn McDaniel and a single from Goodman. Senior right-hander Nick Dean –– who started the contest on the mound for the Terps –– ended the inning, striking out Sargent on six pitches. 

Dean finished the game throwing five innings of four-run ball, striking out four and allowing 11 hits. 

The Terps got into scoring position in the bottom half of the third. After a single to right field, Shaw stole two straight bases and advanced to third with only one out. But Maryland couldn’t capitalize, recording two straight outs to end the frame. 

The Terps made up for it in the fourth, however, retaking the lead. With runners on first and second, junior catcher Luke Shliger drove an RBI single through the left side, bringing sophomore first baseman Eddie Hacopian home for a 4-3 Maryland lead. 

The Black Bears tied the game back up in the sixth. With runners on second and third, freshman catcher Dean O’Neill sent an RBI single to center field to tie the game at four apiece. 

Dean was pulled for fifth-year right hander Kenny Lippman after the run. Despite inheriting a runner on third, Lippman closed the inning without allowing a run.

The sixth was Lippman’s only inning, as the right-hander was pulled for junior left-hander Tommy Kane to begin the seventh. Kane kept the game tied and Maine hitless, throwing a one-two-three frame. 

The Terps failed to retake the lead in the sixth and seventh, hitting into double plays to end both innings.

The sixth inning was the last for Maine starting pitcher Gianni Gambardella. The freshman struck out two while allowing nine hits and four runs in six innings. Sophomore left-hander Caleb Leys replaced Gambardella. 

With two outs in eighth, the Black Bears loaded the bases after Kane plunked a batter. 

Kane was pulled for Belgrave, who was sporting a 1.17 ERA heading into his matchup against McDaniel. With a 3-2 count, Belgrave froze McDaniel with a fastball right down the middle, stranding the three runners. McDaniel was batting .448 heading into the at-bat with 23 walks, both team highs.

After pitching the seventh, Leys was pulled for sophomore right-hander Ryan Scott to begin the eighth. In Scott’s first matchup, Petrutz rocketed a home run into right to give Maryland the lead, 5-4. 

Petrutz was 0-3 with one strikeout prior to the homerun.

“He’s a steady kid man,” Vaughn said. “Big time players make plays in big spots.”

Belgrave took the mound again for the Terps in the top of the ninth, hoping to shut the door. After walking his first three batters faced to load the bases, Belgrave remained on the mound. The redshirt sophomore then struck out three straight to close the game, as the Terps won 5-4 and clinched the series victory.

Maryland faces Maine one last time Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.