Sam Hojnar stepped up in the tenth and drove a ball over the left field wall – a moment that seemed unlikely an inning ago when the Terps faced a no outs bases-loaded jam.

A second Northwestern walk-off win seemed inevitable in the ninth when Evan Smith loaded the bases with no outs. The freshman generated weak contact and forced three outs to keep the Terps alive.

Hojnar and Smith’s heroics lifted Maryland (22-14, 4-7 Big Ten) over Northwestern (12-19, 2-6) 9-8 in Evanston, Illinois on Sunday.

The Terps avoid a series sweep and snap a four-game losing streak. They haven’t been swept since February 2020 and keep that streak alive.

Smith closed the game and earned the win, finishing the day allowing one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings.

Stranding runners on base also plagued Maryland through the afternoon but prevalent in the ninth. Alex Calarco hit a leadoff double to spark a late rally. After two pop-outs and a strikeout, Calarco became the 11th runner left on of the game.

Eddie Hacopian stepped to the plate in the sixth inning and blasted the second pitch he saw over the left field wall. The home run captured a feat for Hacopian – his first career two-homer game. The junior finished 3-for-6 with four RBIs on the afternoon.

Hacopian took the first pitch he saw in the first inning to left field. The blast drove in his brother and put the Terps up 2-0 but the fast start did not feel as crucial. Maryland scored the first run in three of the four games during its losing streak.

This proved true when Northwestern took the lead in the third behind five hits – four of them doubles. Not helped by Maryland’s defense, which committed two errors during the four unanswered runs.

Starting pitcher Joey McMannis locked in from here and didn’t allow another run in his next two innings. The righty pitched five innings with two earned runs, five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

The Terps regained the lead in a three-run fifth inning behind RBIs from Kevin Keister and Brayden Martin.

Northwestern gained some hope following the Hacopian home run in the next inning. Jackson Freeman and Mills each hit a home run in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game.

Maryland continues its road trip on Tuesday against Delaware at 4 p.m. and looks to build a new win streak.