In Big Ten baseball, if a team leads another by 10 runs after seven full innings, the team in front automatically wins at the end of the next full inning.
Maryland baseball knows this rule, having fallen on the wrong side of it four times so far this season.
Playing against No. 12 USC Sunday in the series finale, Maryland trailed by nine in the bottom of the seventh inning. An RBI from USC’s Maximo Martinez in the top of the eighth put the Trojans in the position to shut the game down early, but the Terps
still had three outs to make a comeback.
However, Maryland baseball only logged one hit in the bottom of the frame, allowing the Trojans to win the game, 14-4, and take the 2-1 series victory.
The first hit of the day belonged to USC’s Abbrie Covarrubias, who knocked a lead-off double down the right field line in the top of the first.
Covarrubias came home on the back of an RBI from Augie Lopez, and two walks and a sacrifice fly RBI put the Trojans up by three runs in the top of the first.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the first frame, Rylen Stockton blasted a line drive to right field, opening the door for Martin to speed home from third base. However, USC right fielder Andrew Lamb caught Stockton’s hit, throwing it to second for a double play that ended the first inning.
Augie Lopez took the batters box with no outs and runners on second and third in the top of the second. The sophomore blasted the ball over the wall in right-center field for a three-run home run to build the Trojans’ lead.
Jake Yeager’s tenure on the mound ended after that. He walked back to the dugout having walked four batters and allowed five hits. He didn’t record a single strikeout, and reliever Brayden Ryan took the mound.
On Ryan’s first pitch of the day, Adrian Lopez mashed a solo home run over the center field fence.
In the bottom of the third inning, Jordan Crosland banked his first base hit of the day, a single through right field that loaded the bases for Maryland.
Stockton walked on a full count in the same inning, and as everyone changed stations, Martin came home to score. One pitch later, designated hitter Paul Jones II posted a sacrifice fly out to left field as Ty Kaunas rounded the diamond.
Kaunas shone at shortstop for the Terps. In the top of the fourth, Augie Lopez hit a ground ball towards Kaunas. The freshman snagged the ball after it bounced, swinging it to Costello at first for the first out of the inning.
Maryland’s attempt to crawl back soon began to falter. An RBI single from Takeuchi and a two-RBI shot from USC’s Maddox Riske extended the Trojans’ lead. Between the hits, Ryan hit a batter, while Maryland’s infield allowed two stolen bases.
Augie Lopez banked his fifth RBI of the day in the top of the fifth inning with a ground out that sent Covarrubias home. Maryland second baseman Jackson Sirois matched it in the bottom of the inning with a line-out RBI to hold the seven-run spread.
After a quiet sixth inning, Augie Lopez came back out blazing, hitting a bomb over the wall in the same spot — right-center — for his second home run of the day. Takeuchi banked another RBI to increase USC’s lead to nine.
The Terps couldn’t answer in the bottom of the seventh, and Martinez banked an RBI in the top of the eighth to seal a 10-run lead over the Terps.
Maryland was in danger of falling victim to the run rule once again.
Martin walked to first base in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Terps a chance to cut the deficit and continue playing.
But a strikeout from Devin Russell and a flyout from Kaunas bookended the walk, shutting the game down before the ninth inning.
Despite the loss, the Terps’ weekend series against USC marked their best ranked games of the year so far. Head coach Matt Swope was satisfied with Maryland’s level of offensive play.
“I’m happy with what we’ve done offensively,” said Swope. “I think our numbers are good.”
Three things to know
1. Martin’s efficiency. Martin is an extremely consistent part of Maryland’s batting order, and he proved it again Sunday with a 2-for-3 afternoon. The junior utility man has reached base in 57 straight games.
2. Plentiful walks. Maryland walked eight batters between three pitchers. Austin Weiss played for only one inning, and was the only pitcher not to issue a walk. The Terps lead the Big Ten in batters walked, with 146 on the season so far.
3. Ranked series drought continues. The Terps haven’t won a ranked series since they did in 2021 against Michigan. Without another ranked team on their schedule, it’s likely that the drought will extend until next season.
