After giving Maryland baseball hope on Friday with an RBI double, Maryland baseball’s David Mendez swung hard on the first pitch he saw against Troy in the top of the first inning.
Mendez’s 391-foot blast cleared the left-field wall, bringing Brayden Martin home from second base to open the scoring for the day.
The second baseman’s second two-run home run of the weekend put Maryland in a very different position than Friday to start out the game. It opened the floodgates for the Terps to cruise to their
first victory of the weekend series with Troy, 9-3.
But the Trojans didn’t let up after Mendez’s homer. They put together a three-run rally with two outs on the board in the bottom of the second to snag the lead back.
Maryland’s initial lead began to dissipate — that is, until Aden Hill took the batters box in the top of the third inning.
Hill, a senior Maryland native, connected for just his fifth hit this season. It flew 346 feet, sailing over the left field fence for his first home run since May 2025, tying the game for the second time.
Redshirt sophomore Colin Gibbs sweetened the deal one out later, singling through the 5-6 hole for another RBI, bringing Ty Kaunas home to regain the lead.
Evan Smith took the mound for only the second time after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The redshirt sophomore left something to be desired, though, only throwing one strikeout across four innings.
But calls to the bullpen proved to be incredibly successful for Maryland.
Freshman Nic Morlang made his weekly Saturday relief appearance against the Trojans in the bottom of the fifth inning to replace Smith. In two innings of work, Morlang logged four strikeouts in just 25 pitches, with no walks and just one hit allowed.
Ryan Costello highlighted the top of the seventh, recording his first RBI of the weekend on a single to bring home Ty Kaunas and extend the Terps’ lead. Hill and third baseman Brayden Martin did the same in the next frame, each logging insurance RBI doubles to secure the lead.
Logan Hastings took his closing spot on the mound in the bottom of the seventh. The right-handed pitcher put away eight strikeouts in just three innings, only allowing two hits and no runs.
Maryland discipline in the batters’ box greatly improved from Friday’s game. Selective swinging paid off. The Terps garnered six more hits than they did in the series opener, and first home runs since Wednesday’s contest against Delaware.
The second of two home runs for the day came from catcher Rylen Stockton, who launched a 388-foot rocket over the left field fence to secure a six-run lead.
Hastings curbed any chance the Trojans had of regaining momentum, punching out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
Three things to know
1. RBI beast. Costello is tied for third in the country for total RBIs on the season (24). The right fielder is also fifth in the nation in RBIs per game, with an average of 1.92.
2. Conference-level closer. Hastings leads all Big Ten relievers in total innings (18 ⅔), and holds the second-lowest non-starting era at 0.96.
3. Defensive improvement. The Terps held the Trojans to seven straight scoreless innings, the most they’ve held an opponent to all season.
