The Terps fall to 3-4 on the season.
After giving up 31 runs in three games last weekend, Maryland baseball’s pitching struggled again, as it trailed Delaware, 11-3, after five innings.
Maryland’s offense looked lifeless for four innings but channeled the ‘Cardiac Terps’ nickname from last season, scoring seven runs across the seventh and eighth innings to cut the deficit to one run heading into the ninth.
However, this late surge was not enough, as Delaware tacked on two runs in the final frame to earn its second win of the season, 13-10, over the Terps Tuesday.
“It’s nice to score runs, but if you can’t play defense and all three phases, it doesn’t happen,” Maryland head coach Matt Swope said.
Maryland (3-4) beat Delaware (2-5) in each of the teams’ previous five matchups.
Freshman Jake Yeager, the No. 1-ranked pitcher and player in Maryland in the 2024 recruiting class, saw the mound for his Terps debut. Yeager took some time to shake off the nerves, walking Delaware’s leadoff man before striking out the next batter.
However, after Alex Calarco gunned down the attempted steal, Delaware right fielder Aaron Graeber took Yeager deep to put the Blue Hens on the board. Yeager’s susceptibility to the long ball continued in the second inning, as he allowed his second homer — this time a two-run shot by catcher LT Cockrill.
Maryland’s offense went cold, going scoreless from the third to sixth inning, while the Blue Hens bats caught fire, scoring eight runs to take an 11-3 lead.
Despite the Blue Hens’ offense clicking, they could not contain Calarco, last week’s Golden Spikes National Player of the Week. He hit his sixth home run of the season to put the Terps on the board in the second inning.
After leaving Sunday’s game early due to injury, leadoff man Brayden Martin looked healthy. He cleared the bases later in the second inning with a slapshot single past the diving shortstop to tie the score.
In the top of the third inning, Yeager was not rattled by first baseman Hollis Porter’s dropped ball in foul territory. He retired all three batters, striking out the final two for his first 1-2-3 inning.
Yeager continued to settle in, retiring the middle of the Blue Hens’ lineup in order for the second straight inning.
“It’s his first outing, so you just take it how it is,” Swope said. “I thought he bounced back after the homers.”
After another scoreless inning for Maryland in the fourth, Delaware got to Yeager in the fifth, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Swope then made the change to Devin Milberg, who could not record an out, allowing two hits and a run to give the Blue Hens the lead.
The Terps’ bullpen struggles continued. Ryan Van Buren entered the game and recorded three outs, but Delaware scored three more runs first to extend its lead to 7-3.
While Maryland’s offense remained lifeless, the Blue Hens’ bats further punished Van Buren. Leadoff batter Andrew Amato hammered the ball to right field for a three-run home run, followed by a solo shot to dead-center field by Graeber.
Freshman Logan Hastings entered the game in the seventh inning, striking out the Delaware order in just 12 pitches to give the Terps life.
Maryland used this momentum to start a rally. Elijah Lambros finally got the best of reliever Tim Hartman after four scoreless innings. Lambros singled, then third baseman Eddie Hacopian’s double to center put the Terps back on the board. Right fielder Aden Hill then smashed a two-run shot in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 11-6.
Maryland’s rally continued, as Eddie Hacopian delivered a perfect RBI bunt. His younger brother Chris followed with a base-clearing double to cut the deficit to a run.
After a two-run ninth inning for Delaware, Maryland looked to force extras with the middle of its order due up but ultimately came up short. Pinch-hitter Jacob Orr flew out to center to close out Maryland’s fourth loss of the year.
Three things to know
- Yeager makes his debut. Yeager pitched four innings before being pulled in the fifth, allowing five earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts.
- Pitching struggles. After allowing 31 runs to Western Carolina last weekend, Maryland’s pitching showed no improvement, allowing 13 runs, 11 hits and eight walks in the loss.
- Comeback falls short again. Maryland made another late-inning comeback after falling into a huge deficit but fell short for a second straight contest.