The Terps remain without a three-game series win this season.
Maryland baseball entered Sunday’s matchup against Nebraska with a chance to win its first Big Ten series of the season.
But quickly, it became clear the Terps never stood a chance.
The Terps walked the first three batters they faced; a grand slam made it 4-0 Cornhuskers. The lead ballooned to 11-0 after three innings, as no Maryland pitcher could find any success. The Terps eventually lost in seven innings, 21-5.
While Maryland (20-25, 6-15 Big Ten) had two opportunities to earn its first Big Ten series win after a Friday victory, the offense went cold. At the same time, the pitching staff struggled, allowing double-digit runs for the fourth straight Sunday.
“I thought Friday was good. Yesterday we didn’t take advantage of runners on base, but today was bad,” head coach Matt Swope said.
All five of Maryland’s runs came in the fourth inning, but Nebraska (21-23, 9-12 Big Ten) responded right away, matching the Terps’ total in the fifth inning to retake an 11-0 advantage. The lead only grew from there, as Nebraska outhit Maryland 19-5 in its dominant performance.
Senior Andrew Johnson made his second start of the season, but it was a nightmare from the beginning. He walked the first three batters he faced, then a Gabe Swansen grand slam made it 4-0. Johnson’s day ended without having recorded an out.
Freshman Cristofer Cespedes entered the game for the Terps, but things didn’t get much better. Nebraska tagged Cespedes for three hits and two more runs to extend its lead.
The Terps walked the bases loaded for the second straight inning before recording an out. Finally, Cespedes recorded the first strikeout of the day, but the Cornhuskers then made the freshman pay. Nebraska scored three more runs and ended Cespedes’ day with the Terps trailing 9-0.
Jack Wren got the final out in the second inning, but not even he could stop the Nebraska offense. It scored two more runs in the third inning to extend the lead to double digits.
“You prepare the same every day. The energy is good,” Swope said. “We haven’t won a series all year, you just have to do so. I don’t think there’s anything to point to before the game that’s going to give you a win or a loss.”
Maryland finally slowed down Nebraska’s offense in the fourth frame, forcing a 1-2-3 inning. Meanwhile, the offense woke up. The Terps loaded the bases before sophomore Chris Hacopian broke the no-hitter, launching a grand slam to right-center field to cut the deficit to 11-4. Aden Hill’s RBI single later in the inning then scored Hollis Porter from second base as Maryland got within six.
Nebraska answered Maryland’s effort with five runs on five hits in the fifth inning to extend its lead back to 11. Wren started the inning, allowing three runs, while Andrew Koshy came in relief, allowing two more. The Cornhuskers added on a solo home run and back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 19-5.
Nebraska’s fourth run of the inning summed up the day. What looked to be a routine play at first base fell through as pitcher Logan Koester couldn’t beat out the runner to cover the bag. That put run number 20 on the board for the Cornhuskers. They added one more in the seventh inning, sealing the dominant victory and series win.
“There’s not much to say after that,” Swope said. “That’s not a competitive baseball game. It was never in a situation to be a competitive game all the way through.”
Three things to know
1. Another disastrous Sunday. Maryland’s rotation struggled for the fourth straight week, and its offense couldn’t compensate for its shortcomings. It had just five hits on the afternoon, and six strikeouts.
2. Postseason hopes are shrinking. Maryland dug itself into a hole early in the season and has been unable to bounce back late.
3. Low point. Maryland had a chance to gain ground in the Big Ten standings with a series win against Nebraska, but failed to do so in the final two games, including another embarrassing series finale loss.