Maryland baseball’s batting order put on its best offensive performance of the weekend against Rutgers. It tallied 14 hits across nine frames — a stark difference from Saturday night’s game, where the Terps failed to produce a run.
A flurry of home runs brought the Terps to their first conference victory in over two weeks as they avoided a series sweep by the Scarlet Knights with an 11-7 win.
Maryland loaded the bases in the bottom of the first after a single from Ryan Costello, an error allowing David Mendez to reach and a walk for Bud Coombs. Paul Jones II knocked a single towards third base, and a fielder’s choice play allowed Costello to come home for the Terps’ first lead of the weekend.
Rutgers used aggressive base running to keep it close, though. Gabriel Rivera and Trey Wells hit consecutive singles, advancing even further on a wild pitch and a stolen second base.
Jarod Ryan capped it off with a 399-foot blast. Coombs just barely missed the catch in deep center field, allowing three runs to score and giving the Scarlet Knights the lead.
In the bottom of the second, the Scarlet Knights struck again via Charlie Meglio’s solo shot to left field.
Brayden Ryan’s fifth start of the season ended seconds later, lasting only one inning without a single strikeout.
Andrew Koshy took over for his 23rd relief appearance of the year, inheriting a runner on second. Two well-placed bunts — a bunt single and a sac bunt — brought Tyler Wiltsey home for yet another run.
Mendez loaded the bases in the top of the third for Maryland before a sacrifice fly from Coombs plated Brayden Martin. Jones II sealed the deal with a three-run home run to left field to tie the game at five.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Jones II struck again in the top of the fifth, demolishing a 409-foot bomb down the middle to regain the lead.
Koshy pitched three scoreless innings, but was pulled in favor of redshirt junior James Gladden in the bottom of the fifth. His first pitch of the day was walloped by Rutgers’ Trey Wells, who hit a home run to left field to tie the game for the second time.
With two outs, Gladden spiked a wild pitch in front of Ryan Jaros. He bolted home and managed to evade Gladden’s tag at home plate, giving Rutgers the lead back.
The Terps’ offense lit up in response, plating five unanswered runs in the last third of the game.
Coombs started the run fest with a two-run home run to left center to snatch the lead back in the top of the seventh. Just one inning later, Jordan Crosland did the same to give the Terps some insurance with a left-bound dinger.
Coombs kept the pressure on, with a RBI sacrifice fly to push the Terps to double-digit runs.
Lance Williams closed out on the mound for the Terps, beginning in the bottom of the seventh. He earned his second save of the season after a three-inning performance resulted in no hits, no runs and 24 strikes thrown.
To cap off the afternoon, New Jersey native Devin Russell hit a sacrifice fly to bring his teammate Ty Kaunas around the horn. That productive out solidified Maryland’s four-run lead and effectively put the game to bed.
Three things to know
1. Old foes. Maryland and Rutgers have played each other at least three times a year since 2016. Over their ten-year history, the Terps have never been swept by the Scarlet Knights. That trend continued with Sunday’s win.
2. Hot bats. Eight of Maryland’s nine starters drove in a run against Rutgers. Michael Iannazo was the only player not to plate one, but the redshirt sophomore still went 4-for-5 on the afternoon.
3. Record-breaker. Brayden Martin’s two free passes today tied him with Maryland’s all-time record for career walks at 138. He matched former Terp Luke Shliger, who was drafted to the San Francisco Giants following his time in College Park.