In a high-scoring game that saw the lead change hands four times, Maryland outlasted Northwestern, 9-7, to win for the third time this weekend in Iowa City, IA. Overall, Maryland has now won six of its last seven games and stands at 16-13 this season.
The Terps took the lead for good with a three-run fifth inning, to lead 7-6 and added two more runs in the seventh. In that fifth inning, Northwestern had taken a 6-4 lead in the their half on a two-run single by Ethan O’Donnell. Bobby Zmarzlak answered O’Donnell with his own two-run single to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. Then, Chris Alleyne’s single to right brought home Zmarzlak for the go-ahead run.
Sean Fisher’s relief pitching was a major story in the game. The senior came into the game with a 9.00 ERA on the season, but had his best outing of the year. Coming on for Jason Savacool, who lasted just 4 1/3 innings, Fisher threw 4 2/3 innings to earn the win. Fisher did not allow an earned run, striking out five Wildcats.
Northwestern opened the scoring in the first on a throwing error from catcher Luke Shliger, allowing Shawn Goosenberg to score, 1-0. The Terps came out swinging at their first at bat, with Maxwell Costes and Tommy Gardiner each driving a run in on singles to center field scoring Benjamin Cowles and Costes. Shliger then scored on an error by the catcher to bring the score at the end of the first to 3-1, Maryland.
The Wildcats tallied one run in the second as Leo Kaplan singled to left field allowing O’Donnell to score. Maryland was able to strengthen their lead off Matt Shaw’s single to bring home Chris Alleyne, pushing the lead to 4-2.
Northwestern tied up the game on a double to left field from Goosenberg, driving in Kaplan, evening the game at 4-4. The Wildcats then took the lead in the fifth, 6-4. But, Maryland bounced right back, re-capturing the lead once again, 7-6.
The Terps added to their lead in the seventh inning recording two more runs. Kevin Keister grounded into a double play to bring home Gardiner and Tucker Flint was able to score off a throwing error by the shortstop Goosenberg.
Fisher held the Wildcats scoreless through the eighth and allowed just one final run in the ninth, off a single to left-center. The Terps will look to continue their winning momentum as they take on the Minnesota Gophers (4-23), who have lost 10 games in a row, next weekend in College Park.
In their first outing of the weekend at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa, the Terps fell short to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 6-2, after a high-powered strikeout performance from both starting pitchers. The Hawkeyes (16-10) took the lead for good on a two-run double from Brendan Sher in the sixth to put them ahead 3-2. Maryland (13-13) struggled to convert its opportunities all night, leaving 12 men on base.
Maryland’s run in the third broke the scoreless game with Matthew Shaw hitting a sacrifice fly to bring Chris Alleyne home after a steal of second and advancing to third on a wild throw, making it 1-0. The Terps added to their lead in the top of the sixth with Shaw driving in his second run as his single to center brought home Kevin Keister from second, pushing the lead to 2-0.
The Hawkeyes turned around their scoreless scorecard in the bottom of the sixth with their first run coming on a wild pitch from Sean Burke as Zeb Adreon scored from third. Determined to take the lead, Iowa turned around their lack of hitting, taking the lead on Sher’s double to bring in Brayden Frazier and Matthew Sosa, giving them the 3-2 lead.
During the seventh, the Hawkeyes continued their persistence with Izaya Fullard and Peyton Williams scoring on two squeeze plays from Dylan Nedved and Adreon, making it 5-2. Topping their lead off, Williams singled to left field to bring in Ben Norman, for their final run of the game in the eighth.
In the loss, Burke’s pitching had some bright spots as he had 10 strikeouts, his third highest for the 2021 season. At 117 pitches and after holding the Hawkeyes scoreless into the end of the fifth, Coach Vaughn pulled him from the game after allowing three runs in the sixth. Burke struggled with his control, walking six and hitting two Hawkeyes with pitches.
Trace Hoffman claimed the win, but starter Trenton Wallace set him up for success. Wallace pitched 4 1/3 innings topping off at 96 pitches and had nine strikeouts, lowering his season ERA to 2.57.
Reaching the beginning of the third inning scoreless, both teams struggled with clutch hitting. The Terps left a total of 12 men on base and had only one hit heading into the fifth. Iowa stranded ten men in the game, but made a huge turn around in clutch hitting in the sixth and on.
Maryland was just 1-of-11 with runners in scoring position and 1-of-16 with runners on base.
Alleyne has topped his personal stolen base record with three more stolen bases in the game as he has 16 steals thus far on the season. This was his third game in row with three steals, with the last two in the Terps previous matchups against Ohio State. His abilities on the bases have helped the Terps score plenty of runs this season. Coming into the season, Alleyne had 12 total stolen bases in three seasons at Maryland.
Next up, the Terps will take on a doubleheader facing Iowa once again tomorrow at 2:05 P.M. and the Northwestern Wildcats at 6:05 P.M. for their second series in their last pod play of the season.
With a big weekend on deck, Maryland baseball looks to keep its winning streak alive. Coming off a huge series sweep, the Terps have the chance to continue their offensive energy that began at The Bob last weekend.
The Terps dominated the Ohio State Buckeyes at home winning all three games to move their record above .500 for the first time this season. Hoping to continue their momentum, the Terps will be traveling to Iowa City, IA, for a four-game pod with a pair of matchups against both the 15-10 Iowa Hawkeyes and 12-12 Northwestern Wildcats.
The first games of the weekend will be up against the Hawkeyes, game one will start on Friday at 8:05 p.m., and game two will start on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. For game three, the Terps will finish out the double-header on Saturday against the Wildcats at 6:05 p.m. To wrap the series, the Terps will face the Wildcats again on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The Terps’ important series sweep last weekend against Ohio State helped them climb to 13-12 and a tie for fifth in the Big Ten standings. With a collective 24 runs across the weekend, Maryland dominated game one scoring seven runs in the sixth en route to a 10-6 win. In game two, the Terps captured a 5-4 win in ten innings thanks to a bases-loaded walk. For the final matchup, Maryland came from behind to secure the 9-4 victory, as the Terp pitching staff held the Buckeyes scoreless after the third.
Maryland will look to offensive players Chris Alleyne, Maxwell Costes, and Matt Shaw to continue strong performances this coming series. Alleyne hit .400 on the weekend and stole seven bases. Costes and Shaw each had hits in all three games.
The Hawkeyes are coming off a 3-1 series win in Piscataway, NJ against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Iowa racked up 32 runs in the four games with Izaya Fullard recording seven hits in the series. Maryland’s offensive energy will need to stay strong to combat Iowa’s high run-scoring this season (6.0 runs per game).
In the second half of the weekend pod, the Terps will take on the Wildcats, a team coming off a 1-2 series loss against the Indiana Hoosiers. In the first loss, Northwestern rallied in the seventh but fell short, 5-4. In the second loss, Indiana kept the Wildcats scoreless, beating them, 4-0. Overall, the Wildcats have lost four of their last five games. Maryland will look to capitalize on Northwestern’s recent struggles.
Iowa Hawkeyes (15-10)
Last Season
The Iowa Hawkeyes finished the shortened season due to the COVID shutdown with a 10-5 record. The team slashed .295/.391/.408 and their pitching staff closed with a solid 3.39 ERA.
This Season
The Hawkeyes have stayed consistent with their shortened 2020 season. Iowa has boasted a .251/.371/.418 slash line so far, and are fourth in the Big Ten standings. The Hawkeyes pitching staff has shown strength putting up a 4.06 ERA. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 3-1 series win and have won eight out of their last ten games.
Hitters to Watch
The Hawkeyes have plenty of hitters to keep an eye on. Redshirt Senior Ben Norman is in the midst of a breakout season recording 29 hits, nine home runs, 30 RBI, and claiming Big Ten Player of the Week on April 20. Norman has scored in 17 out of his last 21 games to top off his success. Redshirt Freshman Peyton Williams has also recorded big stats so far this season with a .282/.452/.620 slash line with seven doubles and five homers. Redshirt Junior Izaya Fullard came out big last weekend with seven hits, his highest for a series this season.
Pitchers to Watch
The Hawkeyes pitching staff has held its own this season, with Trenton Wallace and Cam Baumann, both Redshirt Juniors, throwing a total of 81 strikeouts this season. Baumann has topped the Hawkeyes pitching staff putting up a 2.62 ERA with a 3-2 record and holding opposing batters to a .184 batting average. Wallace posts a 2.87 ERA with a 3-1 record. Drew Irvine, a Redshirt Sophomore, also shows promise with 33 strikeouts this season.
Northwestern Wildcats (12-12)
Last Season
In the 2020 season, the Wildcats fell just short of a .500 season, finishing 6-7. The team hit for a .239/.327/.340 slash line along with a bullpen boasting a 3.63 ERA.
This Season
Despite their even record, Northwestern has put up a .271/.356/.496 slash line so far this season. The Wildcat pitching staff has room for improvement with a 4.80 ERA. Northwestern will be looking to change things around after coming off a 1-2 series loss and losing seven out of their last ten games.
Hitters to Watch
The Wildcats have a good balance of power and average this season, with four hitters averaging .300 and above. Juniors Anthony Calarco and Shawn Goosenberg lead the pack combining for a total of 70 hits, 17 home runs, 19 doubles, and 39 RBIs. Calarco tops Northwestern’s stats with a .360/.443/.680 slash line; Goosenberg follows suit with a .327/.391/.692. In the Cats last showing, Vincent Bianchina smacked back-to-back home runs to also put him in the spotlight.
Pitchers to Watch
Northwestern’s bullpen has struggled this season, but pitchers Mike Doherty, Sam Lawrence, and Reed Smith have made notable appearances this season. Friday starter Junior Doherty has a 2.98 ERA this season along with 23 strikeouts. Smith boasts a 2.87 ERA with a win and two losses. Graduate student Sam Lawrence captured his first win last weekend in game two against Indiana, allowing just one hit in closing the game. He also has a team-high three saves.
Starting Pitching Matchups
Game 1: RHP Sean Burke (4-3, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Trenton Wallace (3-1, 2.87 ERA)
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Most recently coming off a pitching win against Ohio State, Redshirt Sophomore Sean Burke will look to continue his personal record above .500. Burke has thrown 62 strikeouts so far this season posting a respectable 4.50 ERA.
Iowa will bring in a strong arm in Trenton Wallace for the opener of the series. Wallace boasts a 2.87 ERA for the season with a total 52 strikeouts thus far. Maryland will have to bring their A-game to plate.
Game 2: RHP Nick Dean (3-1, 4.43 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Irvine (2-2, 4.00 ERA)
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With three straight pitching wins against Northwestern, Nebraska, and Ohio State, sophomore Nick Dean will look to carry that momentum into game two. Dean has thrown 17 strikeouts this season, and in his last showing against the Buckeyes he struck out eight batters, his high for the season.
Coming off two pitching wins, Drew Irvine will be looking to keep his streak alive. At a respectable 4.00 ERA, Irvine has pitched a total of 33 strikeout so far this season and will be a difficult opponent for the Maryland team to face.
Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Mike Doherty (1-1, 2.98 ERA)
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TBD
One of the top arms in Northwestern’s pitching staff, Junior Mike Doherty will open the second half of the weekend. With a tremendous 2.98 ERA and 23 strikeouts, Doherty will look to continue his strong stats this season.
Game 4: RHP Jason Savacool (6-1, 5.12 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Uberstine (2-2, 5.03 ERA)
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The freshman star, Jason Savacool will finish up the series for the Terps on Sunday. Savacool has held his own this year securing six wins for the team. He has pitched 24 strikeouts this season and in his last showing against the Buckeyes threw a career-high six strikeouts in six innings.
To finish up the pod series, the Wildcats will start Tyler Uberstine. Uberstine has 34 strikeouts this season at 34 innings pitched and after allowing four runs in his last outing against Indiana, he will be looking to shut down the Terps at the plate.
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