Penn State sweeps Maryland, eliminating the Terps from the playoffs

Photo courtesy of Dylan Davies/Maryland Athletics

Maryland’s season looked like it would be over two separate times, but mistakes from Penn State’s defense left the bases loaded with two outs in the tenth inning for Devin Russell. But Russell could not take advantage and struck out on four pitches, potentially ending Maryland’s season.

The Terps had a chance to rebound after dropping game one of the series and give itself a chance at the Big Ten playoffs, but they dropped both games in the doubleheader, allowing Penn State (25-23, 11-12 Big Ten) to sweep the series.

“[It’s] devastating. You hate for the seniors to go out like that,” coach Matt Swope said. “You go one weekend thinking that you’re still in the mix for an at large and then not even to make the big 10 tournament is a devastating blow.”

The series win is Penn State’s first against Maryland (34-22, 10-14 Big Ten) since joining the Big Ten. With Ohio State defeating Rutgers, the defending Big Ten champions are officially eliminated from the playoffs despite having a 30-win season. It’s the first time the Terps haven’t made the Big Ten playoffs since 2018.

Game 1

Maryland entered the game in a three-way tie for the final Big Ten playoff spot. The Terps dropped their first game of its series against Penn State, and with Friday getting moved to a doubleheader, they needed to win both games to have a chance.

Maryland took the game to extra innings but could not overcome a tenth-inning run by Penn State, losing 6-5.

A wild pitch with the bases loaded gave the Nittany Lions an early lead in the opening frame. They were in prime position for a huge opening inning as their first run came with no one out, but the poor base running allowed Maryland to limit the damage to two runs.

After Maryland tied the game in the previous frame, Bryce Molinaro gave Penn State a quick response, crushing a solo home run over the Dirty Terps logo in right-center field to pull ahead.

After taking the lead, Maryland had a chance to get out of a seventh-inning jam with two outs, but an error by Sam Hojnar allowed Kevin Michaels to score and even the game at five.

The run marked the end of the game for Logan Koester who provided a similar performance to Omar Melendez on Thursday. Koester surrendered ten hits but just four earned runs.

Koester was stingy with runners on base, limiting the damage in numerous innings and allowing the Terps offense to get the team back into the game.

Maryland took the lead in the fifth inning, but the bullpen lost it – surrendering two runs in the final four innings.

The Terps started Thursday’s game with a lead-off home run, and they did the same on Friday. Sam Hojnar cut the Nittany Lions’ lead in half on an opposite-field homer that carried over the left-field fence. 

Hojnar didn’t appear to square up the ball on his home run. But in his next at-bat, he did just that, ripping a groundball 106 mph off the bat to score Maryand’s second run. Hojnar struggled in his prior four games, going 4-17. But he turned it around on Friday, going 2-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.  

The senior continued to terrorize Penn State’s starter — Jaden Henline — demolishing a 425-foot home run on an 0-2 count to straightaway center field to give Maryland its first lead of the afternoon. 

But the Terps could not hold the lead or rally for another late-inning comeback.

Game 2

The Terps still had a slim chance of making the Big Ten playoffs entering the second game of the doubleheader, but they were unable to get the win.

The loss ensures Maryland will miss the playoffs as Penn State rolled to a 19-7 victory.

Maryland fell behind early in the prior two games, but Brayden Martin broke that pattern, driving his first collegiate home run over the left-field fence to give the Terps the early 1-0 lead.

“That first game took a lot of emotion, and the guys were emotional after the first game,” Swope said. “I just told them to take a few minutes [and] go get something to eat and hydrate, and by the time they came back out, they shook it off.”

After Penn State took the lead in the third inning, Maryland answered immediately in the bottom frame when Eddie Hacopian scorched a three-run line drive home run.

The Terps would add a couple of late runs but it was not enough to overcome a big Penn State lead.

Evan Smith was coming off a career-best six-innings pitched against Boston College and seemed on his way to replicate that performance, retiring his first six batters. But in the fourth inning, Smith lost command of his pitching, resulting in the end of his day. Smith finished going three-plus innings, surrendering six runs.

Maryland’s lead lasted just one inning before Michaels demolished a two-run home run, putting Penn State up 2-1.

Michaels hurt the Terps’ pitching staff all series long, recording at least two hits in all three games and finishing the series 7-12. 

Smith had featured excellent control through the first three innings, but after a lead-off hit, his control vanished, issuing four consecutive free passes to tie the game. 

In the seventh inning, the Nittany Lions blew the game wide open as a pair of base hits from Bobby Marsh and Tayven Kelley gave Penn State a 10-4 advantage. The four-run inning was the Nittany Lions’ second of the game, putting the game well out of reach.

Maryland’s loss is the final home game for any Maryland team in the 2022-24 school year.

“I think they got a full-fledged crash course on the season,” Swope said on how the younger players can learn from this season. “I think it’s going to be leaps and bounds for their career for the program.”