Leading 5-3 in the top of the ninth, Maryland handed the ball to closer Joey McMannis.

Northwestern star Trent Liolios had other ideas, hammering a game-tying, two-run home run to force extra innings.

Tyler Ganus clubbed a long ball in the tenth to give the Wildcats (11-12, 4-3 Big Ten) a 6-5 lead in the tenth. Maryland (13-13, 2-5 Big Ten) couldn’t respond in the bottom half of the inning, another gutwrenching loss filled with missed opportunities for the Terps.

The Wildcats struck first on a rainy evening in College Park.

Trent Liolios continued his incredible 2025, breaking the ice with a solo shot over the centerfield wall to lead off the second inning. Northwestern continued to rough up Kyle McCoy, extending its lead a few batters later on an RBI single from Tyler Ganus.

Hollis Porter answered for Maryland in the bottom of the third, driving in three runs on his tenth homer of 2025.

The Wildcats threatened to tie it up in the fourth and fifth innings, putting a runner in scoring position in each frame. McCoy hunkered down both times and escaped the jams, but his toughest test came in the sixth.

Jack Counsell led off the inning with a ground-rule double to put another runner in scoring position for Northwestern. 

Then McCoy reminded everyone why he has the Friday slot in the rotation.

He picked up back-to-back outs on a K and a groundout, then the Terps’ ace ended the inning with a stellar defensive play. McCoy beat Preston Knott to first base on an unassisted groundout to keep Northwestern off the scoresheet.

That sixth was McCoy’s final inning of his gutsy start. Maryland’s starter only allowed two runs, but it was a day full of clutch pitching for him as the Wildcats still racked up eight hits and two walks in their six innings against McCoy.

Cristofer Cespedes came in for the seventh just as Maryland’s defensive luck ran out.

With runners on first and second, Liolios hit a fly ball to the left that Jacob Orr dropped. The error allowed Freeman to score from second. The unearned run tied the game.

On the other side, Northwestern’s Sam Hliboki made it a formidable pitcher’s duel. 

Aside from Porter’s three-run shot in the third and Hill’s solo homer in the seventh, Hliboki controlled the Maryland lineup. The righty surrendered just those four runs on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Northwestern took a gamble and its starter on the mound.

Aden Hill made the Wildcats pay. 

Maryland’s right fielder launched a home run to right-center, giving the Dirty Terps a 4-3 lead late in the game.

Maryland added another run in the eighth on a balk, but Liolios’ game-tying home run in the ninth set up Northwestern for the extra-inning win.

Jack Susanin and Jack Bowman will be on the call for MBN as the Terps desperately search for a win in game two. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.