Winning is rarely easy, and the Terps absolutely proved that this weekend against Portland. 

Entering Sunday, the Maryland Terrapins (15-5) had won 14 straight weekend series dating back to last February. After escaping Saturday’s game against the Portland Pilots (10-7) with a one-run victory, the Terps once again outlasted the Pilots with a 7-6 victory in this weekend’s rubber match, extending their series winning streak to 15.

Chris Hacopian’s lone start as Maryland’s leadoff man this season came in the Terps’ Saturday win over Portland. On Sunday afternoon the freshman got a second crack at the spot, and he made the most of the opportunity. 

After fouling the first pitch straight back, Hacopian took the second offering from Portland starter Carter Gaston and deposited it over the left field fence to give the Terp an immediate 1-0 advantage. 

The Terps offense then kept the momentum rolling in the top of the second. After leading off the inning with a single, Kevin Keister strolled to second on a wild pitch. With Keister in scoring position, Jacob Orr chopped a double down the left field line to plate Keister for Maryland’s second run of the game.

Following the first two frames though, Gaston found a groove and virtually shut down every Terp not named Chris Hacopian or Jacob Orr. In Gaston’s first start of the season, the sophomore ended up going five innings, striking out seven, and giving up six hits — four of which came from Orr and Hacopian. 

Oddly enough, Maryland starting pitcher Joey McMannis had the exact opposite afternoon. 

After keeping the Pilots off of the board through the first three innings, McMannis began the fourth by walking Brady Bean. The Portland sophomore then went first to third on a Devin Russell throwing error, before reaching home on a sacrifice fly from Zach Toglia. 

The walks troubled McMannis again in the fifth, as he allowed Jack Thompson to reach base with a leadoff walk. Thompson then scampered to third on a Riley McCarthy double, and the pair both scored on a high-chopping single from Jake Holcroft, which gave the Pilots their first lead of the afternoon.

McMannis had a bizarre day, to say the least. The two hits that he allowed to McCarthy and Holcroft in the fifth inning, were the only two knocks he surrendered. But the freshman ended up walking five in as many innings of work, forcing him to work around trouble all afternoon.  

The Terps didn’t trail for long though as Sam Hojnar led off the sixth inning with a solo home run to dead center, off Portland reliever Kaden Segel. Keister and Orr followed up with back-to-back hits, to put Maryland in prime position to retake the lead. 

Segel, however, bowed his neck and retired the next three Terps to Houdini his way out of a huge jam.

To add insult to injury, Portland’s Ben Patacsil made the Terps pay for their missed opportunity by lacing a two-run homer off of Maryland reliever Trystan Sarcone. 

It seemed as if Patacsil’s blast could be the decisive moment of the game, but the cardiac Terps did not quit. 

Maryland chased Segel after loading the bases with one out in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for Elijah Lambros. Down to two strikes, Lambros shortened up and lined a double into left-center field, plating two Terps and tying the game at five. 

The Terps weren’t done either. With two outs and the bases loaded, Eddie Hacopian got creative and dropped a bunt that trickled down the third base line and ultimately stayed fair to bring in the go-ahead run. Hojnar then added the fourth run of the inning by just standing still, as he brought home Lambros with an RBI HBP.

That HBP ended up being critical for the Terps.

Maryland carried the 7-5 advantage into the bottom of the ninth, a frame in which reliever Alex Walsh was able to get two quick outs for the Terps. The third, however, was not so simple. 

Down to their final breath, the Pilots had two men reach base following a single and a dropped third strike. Jonas Salk then pulled Portland within one run after he singled backup up the middle. His base hit also put the tying run on second, and the winning run on first. 

Fortunately for the Terps, Walsh remained composed and induced a pop-out to Chris Hacopian, who secured the catch in foul territory to win the game, and the series, for the Terps.

The one-run victory ended a stressful weekend for the Terps, as their three games against Portland were decided by a combined four runs. Sunday’s hard-fought win also marks the end of Maryland’s seven-game road trip.

Maryland will now return home for a midweek matchup against James Madison on Tuesday afternoon before opening Big Ten play at home against Michigan State next weekend.