Maryland baseball’s bullpen falters in 16-5 loss to Purdue
Neither Maryland baseball nor Purdue held a lead larger than two runs Friday until the eighth inning.
After the Boilermakers tied up the game in the seventh, the Terps inserted sophomore Logan Hastings at the mound with hopes of successfully closing out the final two innings. But the opposite happened.
Advertisement
Two walks and a single led to a loaded bases situation with only one out in the top of the eighth. Purdue’s Dylan Drake stepped up to the plate and crushed a grand-slam over the center field wall, giving the Boilermakers a four-run lead.
Maryland ultimately fell 16-5 in its first Big Ten game of the season at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium, dropping a home matchup for the first time this season.
Maryland and Purdue played catch-up in the first two innings, with both teams scoring a run each inning. Lance Williams began the game hot after throwing three hard strikes in a row. But Boilermakers leadoff hitter Ali Banks fouled on the third one, then launched the fourth between first and second base to kick things off.
Banks advanced to third base after Aaron Manis grounded out to first. Purdue’s Sam Flores launched a RBI double into the left field corner to bring in the first run of the afternoon.
Advertisement
Junior Brayden Martin launched a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw. After advancing to third on two wild pitches, the junior came home on a fielder’s choice.
The second inning wasn’t much different. Purdue took back the lead once again after Brandon Rodgers blasted a double over right fielder Ryan Costello’s head to bring in a run. Rogers was almost brought home after Banks drove one into left field, but redshirt sophomore Jordan Crosland made a diving catch to end the inning.
Crosland then kicked off the second inning with a two-run home run over the 385-foot center field wall, giving the Terps a one-run advantage.
Williams, Maryland’s usual series-opener pitcher, held strong for the next five innings he pitched. After lasting six innings and recording 10 strikeouts in the series opener last weekend against Troy, Williams lasted seven innings on Friday night, recording nine strikeouts.
Advertisement
“I thought he was dominant for the most part and did a really good job,” said head coach Matt Swope.
The Terps made it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the fourth inning after a two-run home run by senior Aden Hill, his second this season.
Purdue tied the game in the top of the seventh with a home run to center field by pinch hitter Ross Highfill. The Boilermakers then brought in Thomas Howard to the mound in the bottom of the seventh, keeping the Terps scoreless.
Maryland attempted to do the same by bringing in Hastings in the eighth, but Drake’s grand slam put the Terps behind four runs.
“The biggest thing was just trying to get Logan out of there,” Swope said. “In case that you [Hastings] can come back and pitch on Sunday.”
Advertisement
Maryland had failed to score since the fourth inning, but Purdue kept things rolling smoothly.
“It’s more overall disappointing just because we didn’t finish,” said Swope. “I thought it was a good game for the most part.”
The ninth inning was an eight-run frame for the Boilermakers; they ran through two Maryland pitchers in Andrew Koshy and James Gladden. Purdue recorded two home runs in the final inning, finishing with five.
The Terps recorded one run in the bottom of the ninth, as Hill recorded his second RBI of the game. But it was nowhere near enough for the Terps to take home the series-opening victory.
Advertisement
Maryland returns to the “Bob” tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. for Game 2, with Evan Smith making his third start this season.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s offense wasn’t as consistent as usual. The Terps only recorded six hits Friday night despite averaging roughly 10 hits per game. The Boilermakers recorded 11 hits on Friday night, five of which were home runs and three doubles.
2. Fielding was the Terps’ strong suit. Maryland’s bullpen and bats struggled throughout the game but recorded a couple of strong plays; Crosland’s diving catch in the second inning and Hill’s snag in the fourth stood out.
3. Lance Williams continues to stay consistent. Williams has found consistency during his four starts with the Terps. He has made it past the sixth inning in his last two starts, with 17 combined strikeouts.