Kyle McCoy dominated in eight innings of work.
Maryland baseball looked to start its weekend in Tampa, Florida, on the right foot and handed the ball to its best pitcher.
Kyle McCoy took the hill Friday and dominated the Bulls’ lineup, going eight innings and giving up one earned run. He escaped multiple jams and powered Maryland past USF, 5-2.
“[McCoy’s] been good. Being the ace that he is. This was a gusty performance,” head coach Matt Swope said. “Even with the zone being tight, he was still just pounding the zone.”
Before taking the bump, the Terps gave McCoy much-needed run support in the first inning. Maryland plated two runs, driven in by Aden Hill and Alex Calarco. Those two runs were all McCoy needed, as he was a buzzsaw in the early going. Even then, the Bulls scored a run via the passed ball, but it was unearned.
McCoy has gotten into a groove as of late after missing all of last season with Tommy John surgery. For a Maryland pitching staff that has struggled this season, McCoy has been a clear bright spot.
After four consecutive 1-2-3 half-innings, the Terps broke the ice in the top of the fifth and added two more, again with RBIs from Calarco and Hill.
McCoy had retired 10 USF hitters in a row throughout the middle innings of his outing. The southpaw was nearly unhittable until Carlos Jacome took him the other way with a single after getting the first two outs in the fifth. McCoy quickly got out of the frame with his fourth punch-out, though.
“Just tried to gut it out. Give them everything I had for every pitch they let me go out there,” McCoy said. “Thankfully, my team put up some runs, helped me out there, gave me a comfortable lead, and the defense did everything they could for me.”
USF’s starter Corey Braun had a solid outing too; he went 5.1 innings and surrendered four earned runs on five hits and four walks.
Brayden Martin had his way with Braun, though, recording hits in all three plate appearances against the starter.
“It’s Friday night. That guy’s good, he’s really good,” Swope said. “That’s their best arm, and he’s their guy, and that’s how it’s going to be on Friday.”
USF finally got to McCoy in the sixth inning, when the Bulls plated a run driven in by a triple from Lance Trippel. But Maryland’s starter limited the damage to just one run and maintained his solid outing.
More trouble ensued in the seventh inning for McCoy. After getting the first batter out, a double and a walk put the tying run on base for the Bulls. McCoy miraculously got out of the jam without surrendering a run after throwing a wild pitch with a runner on third. Calarco fielded the pitch and threw out Dawson Mock attempting to steal home to maintain the two-run lead.
The Terps tacked on another run in the eighth inning via the bat of Elijah Lambros.
McCoy returned for the eighth with 91 pitches and, despite taking a comebacker to the chest, got out of the inning unscathed. He threw 106 pitches on the night.
“My pitch count was running up a little bit in those last couple innings,” McCoy said. “Being able to have that low pitch count kind of worked in my favor towards the end.”
Joey McMannis came in to close the game in his second relief appearance after being removed from his starting role. McMannis allowed the tying run to get to the plate with two walks, but earned his first career save with a clean sheet in his only inning of work.
Three things to know
1. McCoy has emerged as an ace. After only surrendering one earned run on Friday, McCoy solidified himself as Maryland’s best pitcher. His ERA went down to 1.78 after the performance.
“If we’re going to get back on track and be good where we need him to be good on Friday nights,” Swope said.
2. Martin’s solid night. The sophomore went 4-of-5, including an impressive bunt single from the leadoff spot Friday.
3. Calarco and Hill provided run support. Calarco and Hill gave Maryland all the run support it needed on Friday night with four combined RBIs. Maryland’s strong pitching performance did not require much from its elite offense.