After six straight losses, including one by one run Friday night, Maryland baseball upset the No. 12 USC Trojans 6-4 on Saturday. Coming into Sunday, the Terps looked to get their first ranked series win since 2021. 

But Maryland couldn’t complete the series upset, taking a 14-4 loss to No. 12 USC in game three at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Errors and the inability to slow the Trojans’ offense held back Maryland in the loss.

“We can’t do the blame game thing,” head coach Matt Swope said of the loss. “We collectively as a unit have to come together and just play a better brand of baseball.”

The Dirty Terps cycled through four different pitchers, but turned to sophomore righty Jake Yeager for his sixth consecutive Sunday start. Yeager has struggled in his early starts, posting an 8.16 ERA in 21 innings.

Sophomore right-hander Andrew Johnson was opposite of Yeager at the helm for the Trojans. He held a 2.27 ERA coming into Sunday. USC’s pitching rotation as a whole ranks best in the Big Ten in earned runs, but its team-wide .265 batting average falls in the middle of the conference pack.

USC’s hitting got started quickly against Yeager with hits from the first two batters. Three pitches in, and Yeager was in a first-and-third situation. 

The Terps got 3-hole hitter Augie Lopez on his soft grounder to first, but couldn’t pick the runner at home. The Trojans took a 1-0 lead just three batters into the game.

Yeager continued to struggle and loaded the bases twice. The Trojans used a deep flyout to right field to send a runner home the first time. Yeager walked in the runner in the next one — his third gifted base in a four-batter stretch. USC took a 3-0 lead in the first half inning.

Maryland’s offense looked to respond. It loaded the bases, including two hits, and Rylen Stockton lined out to right field to score Brayden Martin. Jordan Crosland also attempted to advance on the play but was caught at second, consequently ending the inning.

The Trojans didn’t slow down. Augie Lopez slammed a three-run homer in the second inning, cutting Yeager’s afternoon short. Brayden Ryan came in on the mound, but Adrian Lopez took the right-hander’s first pitch for a ride over the dead center of the outfield fence.

The Dirty Terps worked their way onto the bases in the third inning to move runs around. Martin and Ty Kaunas led off, reaching base with a hit and a walk, respectively.

Stockton took the RBI walk with bases loaded, and Paul Jones II took a sacrifice fly to left field to score another run and chip away at the Trojans’ lead to 7-3 at the end of the third.

“Clearly, it wasn’t a good enough start to the game,” Swope said. “I’m glad we answered there, but we can’t go back and give up another big inning.”

Brayden Ryan commanded the fourth early with two quick groundouts and a walk. But USC opened the door with two hits, scoring another three runs. Maryland couldn’t respond with a run in the bottom of the inning, ending the inning 10-3. 

Both teams traded runs in the fifth and went scoreless in the sixth. Maryland had an opportunity with Martin up and a runner on in the sixth, but the junior grounded out in a double play.

It was a short break for the Terps before USC struck again, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 14-4 lead and put Maryland in mercy rule territory. 

Martin was the only one to reach base in the bottom of the eighth with his signature walk. Maryland couldn’t convert a hit to move him forward. 

The Terps have lost all three of their Big Ten series so far this season. USC had the closest results and showed improvement, but the Terps continue to drop in the conference standings. 

The mercy rule loss marked their fourth in their last seven games.

“Surprisingly, you never want to get run rule, but I feel good about the squad still,” Swope said. “I feel once we get everybody back healthy that this team can make a run, but they’ve got to believe it.”

Maryland will be back at “The Bob” on Tuesday for their second midweek matchup against Richmond this season. Tune into MBN’s broadcast for first pitch at 4:00 p.m. where Ryan Martin and Owen Korzak will be on the call.