Entering the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday, Maryland baseball was up by nine runs, only needing one to enact the run-rule for the third time this week.
Devin Russell stepped up to the plate for his fourth at-bat after having already notched two RBIs. Facing Indiana’s fifth pitcher, the redshirt junior blasted the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a solo home run, giving Maryland a 10-run lead and sealing the contest.
Maryland throttled Indiana on Saturday, 14-4, to level the weekend
series at The Bob.
Left-handed pitcher Logan Hastings struck out the first batter he faced but gave up two back-to-back singles. Hoosiers catcher Brayden Ricketts then grounded out to Hastings, advancing the runners.
Indiana shortstop Cooper Malamazian singled to left field through the shift after Maryland’s freshman shortstop Ty Kaunas shifted closer to third base. The knock brought in two runs. An RBI double brought in the Hoosiers’ third run of the first inning to open up a comfortable lead.
“The way you overcome a beginning is by limiting freebies,” head coach Matt Swope said. “When you do that, you put yourself in a position to make some plays.”
Maryland recorded three double plays throughout the contest, including seven assists by Kaunas and five by second baseman David Mendez.
Three walks in the first four batters helped the Terps get one run back. But Maryland failed to bring in any more runners, leaving the bases loaded after a Reagan Rivera strikeout.
That wouldn’t exactly define the game for the Terps, though — five runs were on their way in the very next frame.
After Russell was hit by a pitch, freshman Colin Gibbs recorded his first double of the season off the left field wall. Redshirt junior Jordan Crosland brought both runners home after slamming a double off the right field wall, leveling the score.
Brayden Martin kept the bats moving. A line drive over Rivera’s head through the middle of the diamond put runners on the corners for Kaunas’ at bat. The freshman proceeded to double to left center, bringing home Crosland.
After throwing 42 pitches, Indiana replaced Rivera with right-hander Ivan Mastalski with no outs and runners on second and third. Though Mastalski recorded two strikeouts, Maryland brought Rivera’s runners home to take a three-run lead.
Indiana’s Jake Hanley launched a solo home run over the center field wall in hopes of catching up to the Terps, but that would be that last run for the Hoosiers for the remainder of the contest.
When asked about Hastings’ first start of the season after Friday night’s loss, head coach Matt Swope said, “hopefully we get a spark from him and get a win tomorrow.”
The spark Hastings provided was devastating. The sophomore recorded five strikeouts and only allowed one walk while playing all seven innings. Hastings went on to log his second-most innings and pitches of the season, displaying a longevity the Terps needed from him — he hadn’t made it longer than three innings since Feb. 22.
“Whatever happens, I have to give our team some length here,” Hastings said. “And I knew they were going to hit for me.”
Maryland found its hits to extend the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with Russell laying down an RBI bunt to Mastalski and Gibbs notching an RBI single on a fielder’s choice.
The Terps recorded its second five-run inning in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 13-4 game. Mendez kicked off the inning with a line drive double down the left field line. Nate Hawton-Henley grounded out to shortstop, advancing Mendez to third. Mendez was eventually brought home after an RBI double by redshirt junior Devin Russell down the right field line.
After Indiana walked two more Terps, Martin grounded out to second base, bringing home Russell. Kaunas notched his fourth hit of the game, a two-run RBI single to left field. Paul Jones II then hit an RBI double down the left field line to make it a 13-4 game.
Hastings kept the Hoosiers scoreless, and in the bottom of the seventh, Russell’s solo home run ended the game, giving Maryland its first Big Ten victory in two weeks.
Swope said that he can see Hastings in more starting positions throughout the remainder of the season.
“Him gutting it out after those certain amount of innings and giving us some length, saves the bullpen for tomorrow.”
Three things to know
1. Double derby. Maryland recorded eight doubles against Indiana on Saturday — its most in one game so far this season. Kaunas and Jones II, the Terps’ leading double-getters, were each responsible for two — their 12th and 10th of the season, respectively.
2. Walking the line. Indiana walked 10 Maryland batters, its most since Feb 20. Hastings only walked one Hoosier — the Terps’ fewest batters walked since March 20 against UCLA.
3. Bunts bringing runs. Maryland bunted four times on Saturday. Two resulted in an out, with one of those advancing runners. The other two bunts brought in a run for the Terps.
“It’s not necessarily about can they hit and not they can’t hit,” Swope said. “We’ve done a much better job in the last week or two when we’re utilizing the bunt… the pitcher has to make a play, they can make a mistake, it could get a hit, all these different things.”
