The Terps battled after a Friday loss to win this weekend’s series.
Illinois made it close in the eighth inning on Sunday when left fielder Vytas Valincius hit a three-run double to cut Maryland baseball’s lead to just one.
But then Sam Hojnar stepped to the plate and revived the Terps’ lead with a three-run moonshot to dead-center field. The homer solidified an 11-7 victory for the Terps and handed Illinois its first Big Ten series loss of the season.
“I knew I was gonna have a chance to drive in some runs [and] give us some space with two outs,” Hojnar said. “I was just looking for a fastball over the plate … so I kind of knew a fastball was coming and he gave me a kind of elevated fastball, but I was looking forward to stay put on it to get it out.”
Pitcher Logan Berrier finished the job, entering the game in for the second straight day in the ninth inning to shut the door.
“As soon as I walked out here today and said, ‘It’s 85 degrees, you’re hot,’” Maryland head coach Matt Swope said on the decision to bring in Berrier. “This is a fifth-year senior. This is what you live for. This is the series that you’re trying to win.”
Maryland scored seven runs in the first three innings and four in the final two, continuing a dominant offensive display en route to its first weekend series win in five weeks.
The Terps capitalized in the first inning when Chris Hacopian went yard to left field. But they did not stop there, as Brayden Martin followed with an RBI double to give Maryland a two-run lead.
Joey McMannis took to his usual Sunday starting roll and ripped off a 1-2-3 first inning. Illinois got its scoring started in the second, as Coltin Quagliano smacked an RBI single and gave his team the momentum.
But Maryland snatched it back when an Eddie Hacopian RBI groundout put the Terps back up by two. In the third inning, Hojnar knocked a solo blast and Devin Russell hit an RBI single. That wasn’t all; Eddie Hacopian hit a two-run single to extend the Terps’ lead to six.
However, Illinois did not go away easily. McMannis gave up solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings to Valincius and Connor Milton, respectively.
McMannis faced further trouble in the fifth inning, allowing another Illini run on a sacrifice fly by Valincius. Ultimately loading the bases, McMannis limited the damage as he forced Brody Harding to ground out.
“That showed a lot of gumption getting out of that situation there,” Swope said.
McMannis’ day would end after the fifth. On the afternoon, he gave up four earned runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out four.
Evan Smith entered the game the sixth inning. He quickly got himself into a pickle as he loaded the bases, but found a way out.
Smith got in more trouble in the eighth inning, giving up a Valincius bases-clearing double that brought the Illini to within one, but it was not enough to steal the game.
Three things to know
1. Solo shots for everyone. On Sunday, Maryland and Illinois combined for four solo home runs. McMannis fell victim to two, surrendering long balls to Valincius and Milton.
2. McMannis bounced back. After giving up eight earned runs in three innings last Sunday at Nebraska, McMannis had a solid outing on Sunday. He allowed four earned runs in five innings and earned the win.
“[McMannis has] got good stuff all day. So I mean, they weren’t hitting the two-seam at all.” Swope said. ”So, you know, you just gotta get comfortable making sure.”
3. Big series win. Heading into the weekend, Maryland badly needed a series win. The Terps got the job done on Saturday and Sunday.