Maryland mounts impossible comeback in 11-8 win over USC Upstate

Photo courtesy of Rose Fernandes/Maryland Athletics

After trailing by eight runs at one point in the game, Kevin Keister stepped into the batter’s with a chance to give Maryland the lead. He put a 1-1 pitch over the left-center field, giving the Terps their first lead.

Maryland (32-18, 10-11 Big Ten) scored 11 unanswered runs after being down 8-0, allowing the team to pull off an improbable comeback against USC and take the game 11-8 at Bob Turtle Smith Stadium in College Park.

“That’s one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever been a part of,” coach Matt Swope said.

Maryland wasn’t scheduled to play against USC Upstate (30-19, 14-7 Big South) to start the season but added the game on Apr. 15. Both teams entered the game inside the top 100 RPI giving Maryland a chance to improve its No. 36 RPI.

In its Wednesday midweek matchup, Maryland elected to start Sarcone. It was his first start of the season and just his second appearance since leaving with an injury against UMBC on Mar. 3. 

The Spartans entered the game with 93 home runs — 13th best in Division I. But after a flawless first inning for Sarcone, USC Upstate showcased its power with back-to-back solo home runs to start the second inning, giving the Spartans a 2-0 advantage.

The two home runs sent a flock of Maryland pitchers to the bullpen, signaling the last inning of Sarcone’s outing.

The Terps appeared they would get out of the following inning cleanly, but a series of two-out hits blew the game open. Troy Hamilton began the rally with a double just over the head of Elijah Lambros in center field. Then, a pair of hits from Tyler Lang and Vance Sheahan scored three runs to swell the Spartan’s lead to six. 

Hamilton terrorized the Maryland pitching staff all game, recording just one out. The senior finished the day 3-4 at the plate, adding 3 RBIs including a monstrous home run.

Despite the eight-run deficit, Maryland’s offense slowly clawed back into the game, allowing Swope to turn to his more experienced pitchers. Kenny Lippman and Logan Berrier delivered in the final 2.2 innings of the game, keeping the Spartans off the scoreboard and allowing just two base runners.

The Terps started their rally in the fifth inning with a pair of home runs from Chris Hacopian and Devin Russell to cut the Spartan’s lead to 8-3.

“I got a bad call on the at Rutgers. And I kind of had bad body language and bad stuff, and I kind of threw my bat away,” Russell said on his mindset during his at-bat. “But this time, I got a bad call, and I kind of stuck in there and [just waited] for a good pitch to hit.”

Hacopian’s home run was his 13th of the season, bringing him within four home runs of the freshman home run record.

The fifth-inning home runs sparked Maryland’s power and finished the game with five home runs.

However, the Spartan’s bullpen utterly collapsed in the seventh inning. An RBI base hit from Jacob Orr and home runs from Russell and Keister put Maryland ahead 11-8. The Terps registered six runs in the seventh inning before recording an out.

“Me and Jacob Orr have been struggling with getting hits,” Keister said. “He said if I get a hit here, then you’re gonna get a hit here. So, after I saw his fall, I had a lot of confidence.”

The massive inning was enough for Maryland to complete its comeback. The Terps will head to Boston for a weekend series against Boston College. Saturday is a doubleheader, and first pitch will be at 2 p.m.