The Terps left eight runners on base Saturday.
Maryland baseball looked for its first series win of the season against USF Saturday after beating the Bulls on Friday. But that wish was not fulfilled.
Freshman Logan Hastings made his third start for the Terps, while senior Brandon Keyster made his first start of the season for USF. However, this game was about the relievers. USF junior Bryce Archie and Maryland freshman Cristofer Cespedes were the game’s only other arms, throwing multiple innings.
Ultimately, Maryland could not make up for Hastings’ four runs allowed, despite Cespedes’ best collegiate performance. It left eight runners on base and fell to USF, 4-3.
This trend began in the first inning, as back-to-back singles by Eddie and Chris Hacopian put runners on first and second. Maryland’s (10-9, 1-2 Big Ten) next two batters flew out, previewing what was to come for the Terps’ offense.
USF (8-8, 0-0 AAC) wasted no time against Hastings, as junior center fielder Ryan Pruitt took him deep on the fourth pitch. He then walked third baseman Matt Rose.
However, the Terps’ defense made up for it, making three key defensive plays. First, Chris Hacopian made a leaping catch at second base. Aden Hill’s incredible diving snag in right field prevented an extra base hit. Then, Chris Hacopian struck again with a spin cycle to get the runner out at first and end the inning.
Maryland put its first two batters on in the second inning but failed to take advantage, starting 0-of-5 with runners in scoring position. Hastings followed up the disappointment with a 1-2-3 inning, though.
Hastings mostly prevented USF from getting runners on base, but his second hit allowed was another home run, extending the deficit to 2-0 in the third inning.
The Terps offense responded quickly, as left fielder Jacob Orr’s single, followed by Porter’s stand-up double, put the Terps’ first run on the board. This ended the day for Keyster.
The Bulls then brought in Archie. He started by issuing a walk to center fielder Elijah Lambros. The Terps pinch hit freshman Colin Gibbs, who drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly to left field.
After failing to put multiple runners on in the first four innings, the Bulls put traffic on base in the fifth. Senior Marcus Brodil opened the inning with a single, then two consecutive free passes loaded the bases.
This brought up the top of USF’s order, and Pruitt delivered again, hitting a deep two-RBI single over the head of Lambros in center field to retake the lead. This ended Hastings’s day and brought in Cespedes. The freshman didn’t disappoint, retiring the two batters he faced to escape the jam and keep the deficit at 4-2.
Archie continued to dominate the game with his third straight 1-2-3. Cespedes mirrored Archie’s success, pitching his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning.
Maryland ended the offensive drought in the eighth, tagging Archie for his first two hits allowed. Chris Hacopian and Calarco hit back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. Hill grounded out to shortstop, but it did the job, scoring Chris Hacopian and advancing Calarco to second base. Archie ultimately escaped the jam, recording the final two outs to keep USF up 4-3.
Cespedes pitched another scoreless inning in the eighth, giving the Terps a chance in the ninth. Porter and Parker Corbin flew out to open the inning, but Brayden Martin’s first hit of the day kept the game alive. However, Archie ended his incredible day in relief, forcing an Eddie Hacopian pop-up to close out the USF victory.
Three things to know
1. Runners left on base. Despite outhitting USF, 8-5, Maryland left eight runners on base, which proved to be the difference in a low-scoring affair.
2. Archie dominated. After scoring two runs in the fourth inning, Maryland’s offense could not shake the dual-sport athlete Archie. The USF quarterback pitched six innings and allowed just one run in relief for his first win of 2025.
3. Cespedes shined bright. The freshman made his fifth relief appearance of the season, going 3.2 innings and allowing no runs in his longest outing.