Photo courtesy of Ian Cox/Maryland Terrapins
Often called upon to be the hero, Jacob Orr stood in the box in the ninth inning with two outs and the game tied. Needing to score Hollis Porter on third base, Orr did just that with an RBI single that would prove to be the game-winner.
The Terps (6-4) ended their two-team doubleheader with two wins, handing the Princeton Tigers a 10-7 defeat and coming back to defeat No. 12 Wake Forest 9-8.
Classic small ball helped the Terps stay in control for all nine innings against the Tigers. Of Maryland’s ten runs, six came from RBI singles with men on, and only one score came from a home run. Down 10-4, the Tigers flirted with a comeback with three runs in the ninth but ultimately fell short.
Maryland got out to a hot start against Wake Forest, leading 5-0 midway through the third inning, but Joey McMannis could not begin the bottom third due to an injury. What happened then was a six-run inning given up by Maryland’s bullpen that eventually stretched to an 8-6 Wake Forest lead.
With two outs and two runners on in the ninth, Wake Forest called upon Josh Gunther to put away Alex Calarco, only to give up three runs and ultimately the game.
The bullpen continued to be an issue for the Terrapins. When coaches pulled Ryan McMannis, Brayden Ryan came in for relief, only to give up five runs and no outs. Andrew Koshy came in to finish the inning, but not before allowing an additional run. They would trail by two up until the ninth inning.
In their first game, the Terps were leading the Tigers 10-4, but Ryan Bailey allowed three runs in the last inning and put the tying run at the plate before Andrew Johnson threw six strikes to escape the game with a win.
Johnson has been one of the few bright spots in the Maryland bullpen. He got a save in the Princeton game after Ryan Bailey reduced the Terps lead to just three, and he got another save against Wake Forest when he shut down the Demon Deacons offense in the ninth to preserve a Terps comeback.
Ryan Van Buren kept the Terps in the game after their nightmare third inning with just one run allowed in four innings pitched, including two crucial scoreless innings. As Maryland’s other presidentially named pitcher got the save, Van Buren was credited with the win for his work.
Maryland will play their second of two games against Wake Forest tomorrow at 1 p.m.
