The Terps had 30 total hits between the two contests.
When watching Maryland baseball, you should never expect a typical ending to a game.
In the Terps’ Saturday doubleheader in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this was exactly the case. Both games saw ninth-inning rallies, but Maryland ended up on top in both matchups, first against Princeton, 10-7, and then No. 12 Wake Forest, 9-8.
Maryland takes down Princeton
Maryland baseball continued its strong start to the weekend with a 10-7 victory over Princeton, powered by a well-rounded offensive performance and solid pitching from starter Omar Melendez and relievers Jack Wren, Andrew Johnson and Ryan Bailey.
The Terps wasted little time responding after Princeton took an early lead in the first inning. The Tigers’ Dylan Zdunek doubled down the right field line, followed by an RBI single by Jake Bold. But Maryland answered quickly in the second inning, when Elijah Lambros reached on a walk and later scored on a single by Colin Gibbs, tying the game at 1-1.
Maryland’s offense erupted in the third and fourth innings, plating five runs to reclaim control. In the third, singles from Lambros and Aden Hill helped the Terps take a 3-2 lead.
The Terps continued to apply pressure in the fourth inning, capitalizing on Princeton’s defensive struggles. Alex Calarco drove in two runs with a single, scoring Eddie Hacopian and Brayden Martin, and Hill added another RBI to extend Maryland’s lead to 6-2.
Princeton chipped away at the Terps’ lead with a run in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Bold, but Melendez settled in to keep the Tigers at bay. The left-handed pitcher threw six innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits, while striking out five batters. Wren delivered a dominant seventh inning with two strikeouts.
Maryland broke the game open in the eighth inning, scoring four runs. Eddie Hacopian led off with a solo homer to left field. The Terps then loaded the bases with walks, leading to a hit-by-pitch RBI for Lambros. Liam Willson added another run on a fielder’s choice before Gibbs capped it off with an RBI single through the right side, giving Maryland a commanding 10-3 lead.
Princeton responded with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but Wren minimized the damage, finishing with three strikeouts over two innings.
Despite entering the ninth inning with a comfortable lead, Maryland faced some late pressure. The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by a solo homer by Tommy Googins. But Maryland turned to Johnson, who secured the final out to seal the victory.
The Terps’ lineup saw key contributions from multiple hitters, with Eddie Hacopian, Gibbs and Hill each driving in runs. Maryland finished with 10 hits as a team, led by Gibbs’ three.
Defensively, Maryland played clean, committing zero errors, while Princeton struggled with four.
Melendez earned the win, improving his season record to 1-1, while Princeton’s pitching staff struggled, surrendering 10 runs and 10 walks. Princeton starter Andre D’Alessio took the loss after giving up six runs in four innings.
Maryland upsets No. 12 Wake Forest
The roller coaster of emotions for Maryland was in full effect once again in the back half of the doubleheader.
The Terps jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but bad news struck in the bottom of the third inning. Starting pitcher Joey McMannis seemed to tweak something while warming up, forcing him to come out of the game after pitching a strong first two innings. Redshirt sophomore Brayden Ryan replaced him, walking his first three batters to load the bases as the momentum turned the Demon Deacons’ way. Wake Forest scored six runs on four hits to take the lead.
Trailing by two runs in the top of the ninth, Maryland was down to their final strike when it hit three straight RBI singles to take the lead and win, 9-8.
Maryland wasted no time showing its offensive firepower against the Demon Deacons. Martin singled and Calarco ripped a double down the left field line. Left fielder Jacob Orr drove in two runners on his hit to right field. Hill then smacked an RBI double the opposite way to put the Terps up 3-0.
Maryland continued to get to Wake Forest starter Matthew Dallas, as a blooper off center fielder Lambros’ bat landed to score another run. The nightmare inning continued, as former Demon Deacon Liam Wilson reached on an error. However, freshman shortstop Gibbs’ bunt was unsuccessful, as he was thrown out at first, ending Maryland’s solid opening inning.
Maryland’s offense continued to trouble Dallas, as the first three batters reached base in the third inning, ending his day. Orr started the action with a double down the third-base line. Hill followed with an RBI double off first base to extend the lead to 5-0.
Griffin Green replaced Dallas from the bullpen, striking out the first two batters he faced. Still, he walked Martin to load the bases. Maryland couldn’t capitalize, though, as Hacopian flew out to center field to end the inning.
Meanwhile, the Terps’ disastrous third inning gave Wake Forest life. The Demon Deacons put five runs on the board before the Terps recorded an out.
Designated hitter Jack Winnay singled to center field, driving in two runs with no outs. After that, first baseman Kade Lewis blasted a home run off to tie the game. Maryland’s five-run lead had evaporated.
Former Wake Forest pitcher Andrew Koshy entered the game for the Terps, looking to ease the blow. After struggling in his first two outings, Koshy retired his first two batters of the day. However, the nightmare inning stretched on, as catcher Jimmy Keenan homered to left field to give Wake Forest its first lead of the game.
Just when the Terps’ outlook appeared grim, Porter answered with a moonshot home run to tie the game.
After putting runners on the corners with two outs, Koshy was two strikes away from leaving the inning unscathed, but Lewis struck again, crushing a single over Hacopian at third base to give the lead back to Wake Forest.
Maryland stranded runners on second and third in the fifth inning, while Keenan delivered for Wake Forest after the Terps couldn’t finish a double play. He lined up a double and scored the speedy Morales from first to extend the lead to 8-6.
After Maryland’s 4-5-6 hitters all struck out in the sixth, the bottom of the order threatened in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back singles by Wilson and Gibbs put runners on first and second with one out, and Wake Forest made a pitching change. Junior Zach Johnston got out of the jam to keep it a two-run game.
For the second straight inning, the Terps hit back-to-back singles to put runners on. With a chance to take the lead, Orr hit a deep fly ball that looked like it would give the Terps the lead, but it stayed in the park. Hill and Lambros struck out to end the inning, and the number of runners the Terps left on base extended to 13.
Despite struggling mightily in his first three outings, senior right-hander Ryan Van Buren pitched four innings, allowing just three hits and no earned runs to keep the Terps alive.
Then the ‘Cardiac Terps’ delivered again. Maryland rallied with two outs, blasting three straight RBI singles to take a 9-8 lead.
Johnson came in to close for the Terps, but nothing came easily. Wake Forest’s first two batters reached base, while an infield ground out advanced the runners to second and third with one out.
Morales hit a fly ball to left field, but it was not deep enough to send in the runner at third base. Junior Marek Houston followed with a pop-up, and Maryland made the catch to seal its best win of the season thus far.
Three things to know
1. The offense delivers again. Maryland scored 19 runs an totaled 30 hits between the two games.
2. The Terps make it interesting. In the first game, Maryland shut down Princeton’s three-run ninth inning rally before flipping the script against Wake Forest. Maryland scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead, then closed it out in the bottom half despite two runners being in scoring position.
3. Another big day for Calarco. The senior catcher continued his blazing start to the season, going 6 for 10 on the day and driving in six runners.