The Terps won their third straight game despite shaky pitching.
Maryland baseball completed its first series sweep of the season, defeating Bryant, 11-7, on Sunday.
Bryant jumped out to a 3-1 lead when Gavin Noriega hit a two-run home run over the batter’s eye in the third inning, but Maryland battled back thereafter. The Terps brought themselves within one in the fourth inning when Alex Colarco hit a moonshot to center field, and in the following inning, Ben Nardi hit an RBI double for his first hit with the Terps, tying the score.
In the fifth, the Terps added two more runs before blowing the game open the following inning. A four-run fram was highlighted by a two-run single from Colarco.
Bryant got within two when Daniel Baruch hit a two-run home run off Garrett French, but the Terps held off the Bulldogs for a third straight win.
“Sweeping is not easy, you know, it’s definitely not easy. We’ve been in this position multiple times already,” Maryland head coach Matt Swope said. It’s about character. It’s about coming together as a team, It’s about growing, It’s about all those different things, but I still think we need to get better at a lot of different areas.”
Freshman Joey McMannis made his first career start for the Terps but ran into some trouble, only pitching only 2 ⅓ innings. Swope turned to McMannis after two difficult Sundays from Meade Johnson, but didn’t get the performance he desired. McMannis gave up three earned runs on three hits and four walks.
“Obviously, Joe didn’t make a good start,” Swope said. “… Started different pitchers — that’s how it’s going to go I think until we find different roles.”
Johnson also appeared out of the bullpen but only got one out in the seventh inning, responsible for two earned runs.
Logan Berrier came in to relieve McMannis and immediately worked out of a bases-loaded jam before pitching three scoreless innings, a crucial performance that helped power Maryland to victory.
“He’s been super consistent,” Swope said of Berrier. “… So early on, stopping the bleed right there [with the bases loaded], getting a chance to add on right there — that was huge. That was literally the game.”
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s pitching woes. Besides a good outing in relief from Berrier, Maryland’s pitching was shaky on Sunday. McMannis, Johnson, and French did not provide the outings the Terps will need moving forward.
2. Colarco’s big game. With a solo home run and a two-run knock, Colarco recorded three RBIs.
“If we’re gonna be good, he’s got to be one of the best players on the team and he’s got to produce, so we’ve been sticking with him regardless.” Swope said of Colarco.
3. Home dominance. In all but one of Maryland’s home games, the Terps have recorded double-digit hits. On Sunday, Maryland scored 11 runs and recorded 10 hits.