The Terps suffered their 15th loss of the season.
Maryland baseball’s offense stalled after briefly holding the lead Tuesday afternoon, while UMBC utilized a key late-inning output to seize control at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
Despite several solid individual performances, the Terps couldn’t find their rhythm at the plate. Elijah Lambros and Aden Hill each showed flashed of promise, but were unable to string together consistent offense.
Maryland’s pitchers worked to keep the game close, with timely outs and strong defense preventing the Retrievers from pulling away early on. However, costly errors and missed chances at the plate gave UMBC the edge.
Ultimately, Maryland’s struggle to further capitalize on early opportunities cost it the game, 5-2.
The Terps have now lost consecutive games to UMBC (9-13) after defeating it in the precious 15 matchups.
Both teams remained scoreless through the first three innings, as they each had opportunities but failed to convert.
Maryland (14-15) starting pitcher Brayden Ryan worked around trouble in the first inning, escaping a bases-loaded jam after hitting two batters. In the bottom of the inning, UMBC’s Sergio Droz kept the Terps off the board early despite three Maryland runners reaching base.
UMBC struck first in the third inning, as Leewood Molessa singled up the middle to drive in a run, putting the Retrievers ahead, 1-0.
After three scoreless innings, Maryland broke through in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Jacob Orr roped a double to center field to put a runner in scoring position. Elijah Lambros followed it up with a two-run home run to left field, giving Maryland a 2-1 advantage.
However, Maryland’s lead was short-lived. UMBC capitalized on timely hitting and defensive miscues in the sixth inning. A pair of singles and a sacrifice fly tied the game at two.
The Terps had a chance to respond in the bottom of the seventh inning. They put two runners on base, but Aiden Hill struck out swinging to end the frame.
In the eighth inning, the Retrievers broke open the contest, as Derek Paris smashed a two-run homer down the left-field line to recapture the lead.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s bats fell silent in the final two innings, as UMBC’s bullpen shut the door, allowing just one base runner.
Molessa added one more insurance run for UMBC in the ninth inning to help secure a three-run win.
The Terps’ offense was limited to just five hits, compared to UMBC’s nine.
Three things to know
1. Pitching carousel. Both teams used five pitchers throughout the game, with Maryland deploying several arms in an attempt to keep UMBC’s offense in check. UMBC mixed in six pitchers effectively, making it difficult got the Terps to build any momentum.
2. Missed opportunities. The Terps left 10 runners on base, including three in the first inning and two in the fifth inning, failing to convert in key moments.
3. A rare streak breaker. Maryland’s loss to UMBC marks their second straight defeat to the Retrievers after winning the previous 15 matchups.