Trailing 9-8 and down to the final out in the top of the ninth, Eddie Hacopian walked up to the plate to face new Penn State pitcher Ben DeMell.

The Dirty Terps’ captain reminded everyone why he earned Maryland’s number three, hammering an RBI single to bring home Parker Corbin and tie up the game.

Jacob Orr led off extra innings with a walk, then Hollis Porter demolished his 19th long ball of 2025 to give Maryland an 11-9 lead in the tenth inning.

But it wouldn’t last. Jack Porter hit a two-run home run of his own in the bottom half of the tenth to tie the score.

But Maryland knew the importance of getting a conference win.

Brayden Martin blasted a solo shot to lead off the top of the 11th, giving the Terps a 12-11 lead.

Maryland (22-26, 8-15 Big Ten) held on for the 12-11 win over Penn State (26-19, 12-14 Big Ten)to win its first series of 2025 on Saturday in State College.

The Dirty Terps wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Orr hit a sharp line drive to left. He turned on the afterburners, hustling out a triple and scoring both runners to give Maryland a quick 2-0 lead on the road.

But unlike Friday’s series opener, Penn State responded promptly.

Ryan Weingartner led off the bottom of the first with a double, advanced to third base on a single and ultimately scored on a wild pitch from Joey McMannis. Just after that, the Nittany Lions tied up the game when Paxton Kling scored from third on a 5-4-3 double play.

Maryland got back on the scoresheet in the top of the third.

Eddie Hacopian stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second. The captain delivered, smacking Maryland’s second triple of the day into the right-centerfield gap, bringing home two runs. Alex Calarco brought him home right after with an RBI groundout, giving the Terps a 5-2 advantage.

That third inning spark tightened the leash on Penn State starter Logan Olson. The Nittany Lions pulled Olson after he walked Aden Hill to begin the fourth. Hill eventually scored on an Eddie Hacopian single, giving the lefty a final stat line of six runs on seven hits with two walks and no strikeouts in three innings.

Penn State started another comeback in the bottom of the fourth.

With two outs, Nate Voss launched a solo home run to make it 6-3 Maryland. The Nittany Lions then had four straight batters safely reach base, culminating in a two-run single for Kling to make it 6-5 in favor of the Terps after four.

McMannis bounced back with a strikeout to end the fourth, but that would be his final inning of work. Maryland’s starter ended his day with five runs on seven hits with three walks and one strikeout in four innings of work.

The Terps got back one of the runs in the top of the fifth.

With Orr standing on third, Hill legged out a two-out infield single to plate Maryland’s seventh run of the day. Penn State challenged the call at first, but following a stressful review, the umpires confirmed the run, cementing Maryland’s 7-5 lead entering the bottom of the fifth.

The luck ran out in the bottom of the seventh.

Bryce Molinaro launched a home run to left with one runner on, tying the game at seven apiece in the bottom of the seventh.

Tied 7-7 in the top of the eighth, Maryland loaded up the bases for Orr with one out in the inning.

Entering the at bat 3-for-4 and a home run shy of the cycle, Orr got too eager at the plate and skied an infield fly to third. Porter followed with a flyout to left, getting Penn State out of the jam and squandering a golden opportunity for the Terps to seize the game.

The Nittany Lions picked up two in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 9-7 lead into the final inning before Maryland’s comeback.
Now with a series win under its belt in 2025, Maryland will look to make it a sweep. First pitch in the Sunday game is scheduled for 1 p.m. with Nathan Schwartz on the call for MBN.