The bases were loaded for Maryland baseball in the top of the fourth inning against Navy Wednesday. It took a sinking line drive to left field by freshman Ty Kaunas, a single by Paul Jones II through a gap in right field and a David Mendez walk.
In a tied game with one out, freshman Nate Hawton-Henley stepped up to the plate looking to deliver. The freshman was thrown a strike that he launched over the left field wall at 103 mph for his first collegiate home run, giving the Terps a four-run lead.
“He was just really happy,” head coach Matt Swope said. “It’s a really big moment to have your first home run be a grand slam.”
Maryland ultimately demolished Navy Wednesday, 15-2, in its second game in two days.
Navy sent the Terps down 1-2-3 innings in each of the first two innings. Maryland also held the Midshipmen scoreless during the first, with right-handed starter Jake Yeager recording his first strikeout of the game.
But Navy scored the first run in the game in the bottom of the second, taking a 1-0 lead. Chris Klug reached first on a throwing error by Yeager and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then made his way home after shortstop Noah Stead grounded out to second base.
Maryland quickly tied the Midshipmen in the top of the third after Hawton-Henley’s single through left field. Redshirt freshman Colin Gibbs followed the effort with a perfect bunt between Navy’s catcher and third baseman. Pitcher Ian Brown overthrew the ball to first, allowing Gibbs to advance to second and Hawton-Henley to third base. Jordan Crosland then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Hawton-Henley in to score and tying the game.
Yeager kept the Midshipmen scoreless with a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, recording three straight strikeouts.
Maryland continued to extend its lead in the top of the fifth. Catcher Rylen Stockton was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single to right field by Jones II. Stockton then scored after another single to right field by Mendez.
Navy remained scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning.
Yeager recorded his fifth strikeout of the game — his most in one game so far this season. After Maryland extended its lead further with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Costello in the top of the sixth, right-handed pitcher Andrew Koshy took the mound in the bottom of the sixth, recording two strikeouts in a row.
“I think in both games we had less than five freebies and more strikeouts,” Swope said. “So when you’re pounding the zone and getting ahead, all your pitches are gonna work.”
The Terps failed to score in the top of the seventh after the bases were loaded with two outs. Navy’s go-to reliever, left-handed Spencer Stephens, recorded the third out on his first pitch.
Stephens holds a 2.79 ERA and 6-0 record in his 17 appearances at Navy’s home stadium — but he was no match for the Terps. He was pulled in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded and one out after allowing two walks and a single by Costello.
A single to left field by Mendez brought in two more runs for Maryland as the bases loaded again following Hawton-Henley walking. Jones II scored after Gibbs was hit by a pitch. Mendez crossed home plate after Crosland reached on a fielder’s choice to third base.
The Midshipmen put in their seventh pitcher of the game, right-hander Adyn Lucero, to try and end Maryland’s four-run inning with the bases loaded. But he walked junior Brayden Martin with two outs, and the Terps kept it coming.
Pinch hitter Michael Iannazzo singled down the middle, bringing in Crosland and Gibbs.
Martin scored on a wild pitch for the seventh run of the inning, making it a 15-2 game — the most runs Navy has allowed this season — that ended with Ty Kaunas striking out.
The Midshipmen failed to score in the bottom of the eighth. Right-hander Brayden Ryan recorded his first strikeout of the game as Maryland’s infield handled the remaining two outs, ending the game early due to the run rule.
Three things to know
1. History in the making. Martin made history on Wednesday by beating the program’s on-base streak record to start a season. The junior now holds the record at 33 games with a chance to extend it.
“One of the best eyes I’ve ever seen,” said Swope. “Consistency as a performer, as a player, from an approach, from performance, all the different things…I can’t say enough about him.”
2. Flipping the script. The Terps have succumbed to the run-rule four times this season. Wednesday marked the third time Maryland has been on the opposite side after shutting out UMBC 11-0 by the 7th inning on Tuesday, and Richmond 19-4 on March 31.
3. Home, sweet home. After playing five games on the road, Maryland returns to the Bob on Friday to face Indiana over the weekend. While the Terps are 2-10 in Big Ten play, they are 8-4 at home.
