Five seasons ago, Maryland faced James Madison in a March midweek at “The Bob.” The Terps narrowly fell to JMU that day in a game that abruptly became Maryland’s final one of the 2020 campaign, with the COVID-19 pandemic putting the world on pause just days later.

The Terps and Dukes faced each other five times across the five years since, with the former prevailing every time. That stretch helped Maryland swing the all-time series advantage back in its favor, 36-35-1, ahead of Tuesday evening’s matchup at “The Bob.” 

Maryland and JMU found themselves with a familiar 4-2 scoreline in the late innings on Tuesday, but senior Alex Calarco helped the Terps create separation. He launched a towering home run — his eighth of the season — in the seventh inning. That long ball served as a decisive moment as the Terps made it six straight wins against the Dukes (5-7) with an 8-4 victory.  

The victory served additional significance, as it was Maryland’s (7-5) 800th win at “The Bob.”

The Terps’ offense put runs on the board right away. 

Following a single by Brayden Martin and a double by Eddie Hacopian, Hollis Porter lofted a fly ball deep into right field, bringing Martin home on a sacrifice fly. 

On the other side, Jake Yeager toed the rubber for the second start in his young collegiate career. 

Yeager struggled with command at times during his debut against Delaware last Tuesday, walking three batters and leaving several would-be home runs balls over the plate. 

The freshman faced similar trouble in the second inning against JMU, as he gave up a hit and walked three batters. The Dukes used one of those free passes to bring the score even at one apiece. 

From that point on though, Yeager was lights-out.

Maryland’s midweek starter breezed through the Dukes’ order for the next three innings, sending them ‘three up, three down’ each time. 

“It’s just a mentality thing,” Yeager said. “You can’t take batters off. I think that’s something I get caught in too much. It’s just about having that mentality as you go out there and know you’re better than the other guy.”

He finished his day with one earned run and three strikeouts over five innings pitched. Yeager’s second-inning traffic accounted for the only hit and walks he gave up all afternoon. With that effort, he earned his first collegiate win. 

Yeager’s performance couldn’t have come at a better time for the Terps’ offense, which was also shut down for three consecutive frames. However, unlike their opponents, the Terps broke out of their slump in the middle innings. 

Elijah Lambros led off the fifth inning by smacking a double to break Maryland’s hitless stretch. Then, freshman Colin Gibbs and Martin both walked to load the bases. 

That brought Hacopian to the plate, but the senior quickly fell behind in the count after a checked swing was controversially called a strike by the first base umpire; Maryland skipper Matt Swope let the umpire hear about it from the third-base coaches box as well. 

However, Hacopian remained composed and smacked a grounder to the shortstop. Martin was thrown out at second, but Hacopian beat the throw to first, avoiding the double play and plating Lambros as the Terps took a 2-1 lead.  

With runners on the corners, Calarco came to the dish. In a 2-2 count, Calarco took a pitch called just outside by the home plate umpire, much to the chagrin of the JMU fans in attendance. Calarco made the borderline call sting when he crushed a ball to the left-centerfield gap. 

That line drive brought Hacopian and Gibbs home to give the Terps some breathing room with a 4-1 lead.

Calarco’s day was just beginning though. After a JMU home run cut the Terps’ lead to two in the top of the seventh, Calarco launched a two-run moonshot over the wall in right-centerfield in the bottom of the same inning. The senior catcher also admired the long ball and delivered an emphatic bat flip before watching the ball sail beyond the fence. 

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Calarco said about watching that hit. “I’m just really grateful and honored to just put on the Terp uniform. Really blessed and happy with what’s going on.”

The game was put on pause for five minutes after JMU challenged that Calarco did not step on home plate. After technical difficulties with the replay, the call on the field stood.

“I touched it,” Calarco said with a chuckle. “I got it with my heel. I’ve got a size 15 foot, so at least a part of it hit the plate.”

Ryan Van Buren, who replaced Yeager, kept the Dukes silent aside from the solo home run. He recorded four strikeouts to just one walk over 2.2 innings pitched. It was Van Buren’s second outing in a row — after delivering four masterful innings against Wake Forest on Saturday — in which he provided much-needed late-inning stability on the mound. 

Even though the Dukes tried to claw their way back into the game, the Terps continued to move further out in front. In the eighth, Hacopian once again delivered, by smoking a ball down the left field-line with the bases loaded. That double scored Gibbs and Liam Willson. 

Hacopian’s 2-RBI extra-base hit also knocked JMU reliever Max Kuhle out of the game in favor of right-hander Adam Horvath. The freshman would be the ninth, and final reliever the Terps faced over their eight innings of offense.

The unique challenge seemed to stump Maryland’s lineup as the bats went quiet during the early innings. But the Terps’ lineup also displayed its adaptability, by knocking across eight in response to JMU’s bullpen-focused approach.  

“There’s nothing we don’t know. We have the scouting reports,” Swope said. “It can be a little tough, they threw the majority of their better arms. I think in those situations, it’s just a focus thing. They’re going to move a lot of guys in and out, you have to be mentally prepared.” 

The Terps brought on senior Andrew Johnson to close the game out. Johnson initially struggled with his command, walking three and allowing a run on a sacrifice fly. However, he remained unphased and struck out the final batter to strand multiple runners on base and end the game. 

Tuesday’s victory put the Terps back in the win column after Sunday’s defeat. They now look ahead to the weekend, when they’ll host UCLA for the first time as conference rivals.