In the bottom of the seventh inning, Maryland baseball relief pitcher Cristofer Cespedes kicked his foot before dealing to Ohio State third baseman Maddix Simpson with one out and runners at first and second.
Simpson stepped into his swing as the ball sped toward him and blasted it towards center field. As the ball flew over center fielder Bud Coombs’ head, the Buckeyes rounded the bases as Simpson’s three-run home run blew the game wide open.
Though the Terps began to rally late in the game to shave
the seven-run deficit, Simpson’s three-run moonshot ultimately cost Maryland the series opener in a 10-8 defeat.
The first and third innings ended without any runs, but the second opened with much more action. Maryland’s David Mendez singled up the middle, eventually advancing to second on the back of a fly-out from third baseman Jackson Sirois.
Brayden Martin knocked a double to left field, bringing home Mendez from second base for Martin’s 21st RBI of the season.
Ty Kaunas did the same just two pitches later, allowing freshman Bud Coombs to come around the horn to double the Terps’ lead before a fly out and a strikeout ended the top of the second.
Ohio State wasn’t down for the count, though.
Buckeye Miles Vandenheuvel swung on a 1-2 count with an out away in the bottom of the second, hitting the ball towards left field. Maryland shortstop Ty Kaunas called the ball in midair, but it hit the edge of his glove and bounced away, allowing Ohio State’s Dane Harvey to score.
Left fielder Jordan Crosland recovered the fallen ball and threw it too hard towards Sirois at third base. The ball flew by him as well, opening the door for a second Buckeye runner to come by and tie the game on the back of two errors just seconds apart.
Martin was eager to take the lead back, first singling up the middle to advance to first, then stealing second. Kaunas banked another RBI with a sacrifice fly to bring Martin home and retake the lead.
As David Mendez flied out to deep right field, rain began to pour over Bill Davis Stadium. Fans began to speed towards the concourse as players stepped backwards under the coverage of the dugout.
In the bottom of the fifth, rain began to clear up, but Maryland’s defense only got foggier.
Following an RBI double from Buckeye Henry Kacsmar, Maryland native Lee Ellis doubled to center, allowing his teammate Mason Eckelman to reach home plate and give the Buckeyes their first lead of the day.
Just one inning later, Kacsmar doubled to right center, this time bringing home Vandenheuvel for his first RBI of the day and doubling Ohio State’s lead.
Evan Smith ended his mound tenure after that, logging four strikeouts and allowing three earned runs in five and two-thirds innings. His appearance marks his longest since rejoining the Terps after Tommy John surgery.
A frenzy of RBIs followed Simpson’s blast, first on the back of a triple from Ohio State’s Alex Bemis, and then another right-bound double from Kaczmar.
As the Terps looked to bounce back, Jordan Crosland took the batter’s box, slinging his bat over his shoulder. On a 1-0 count, Crosland sent the ball along the left field line. As the ball continued to roll into the corner, Maryland’s once-loaded bases cleared, closing Ohio State’s 7-run lead to just four.
Sirois sweetened the deal, crushing a double off the left-center wall for a two-run RBI and forcing Ohio State’s third bullpen call of the night.
Martin logged a double in the top of the ninth in scoring position with the chance to tie the game. Kaunas grounded the ball to right fielder Noah Furcht who forced him out.
Furcht then managed to swing the ball all the way to third base, just in time to tag out Martin and clear the bases. A ground-out following the double play ended the game with the Buckeyes narrowly in front.
Three things to know
1. Martin on the run. Martin’s back-to-back base steals tied him for third-most bases stolen in the conference (12).
2. Battle of bases on balls. Before the game started, Maryland led the Big Ten in batters walked with 156. By the end of Friday’s match, Ohio State took the lead, logging 161 for the season so far.
3. Koshy on cleanup. Koshy’s closing performance was one of his best of the season. The junior righty logged 13 strikes in just 19 pitches, banking two of the team’s seven strikeouts in just an inning and a third. Koshy’s ERA for the season is 4.90 after Friday.
