The Terps completed the season sweep over the Dukes.
By Ryan Sprague
Maryland baseball bounced back Tuesday from its resounding defeat at Nebraska Sunday by taking down James Madison, 6-4. With the victory, the Terps moved to 9-3 in midweek games and completed the season sweep over the Dukes.
James Madison jumped on Maryland early, easily getting to first-time starter Evan Smith. The Dukes hit two first-inning doubles off the freshman southpaw to take a 1-0 lead.
Maryland answered in the top of the third, taking advantage of an error before Sam Hojnar drove in Eddie Hacopian with a two-out single.
Down 2-1, James Madison sent Smith out of the game, tying the game on a double before taking the lead back on a wild pitch. Kenny Lippman came in and calmed things down with two quick strikeouts, though, and continued to deal to the tune of only one run allowed over the next three innings.
The Terps were positioned to tie or take back the lead in the fourth when they loaded the bases, but Eddie Hacopian hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
Maryland once again put the pressure on in the fifth, and it capitalized. Chris Hacopian hit a solo shot which Michael Iannazzo followed up with a three-run blast, the first of his career.
Lippmann and Logan Berrier shut the Dukes down thereafter, combining to pitch the last four innings scoreless. And The Terps’ defense was solid all game, capping off the victory with a double play.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s bullpen came up huge. Lippman and Berrier were stellar out of the bullpen, allowing just one combined run and three hits in 6 2⁄3 innings.
2. Home runs powered the Terps’ offense. Chris Hacopian and Iannazzo both hit home runs in the fifth inning to give the Terps a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
3. Smith struggled. Smith struggled in his first start of the season, allowing five hits and three runsbefore getting pulled in the bottom of the third.