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Maryland Baseball Opens The Season 2-1

The Dirty Terps were down in Wilmington, North Carolina, to open the season.
Jaden Golding|
Sep 2, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; A member of the Maryland Terrapins spirit team holds a state flag before the game against the Towson Tigers at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; A member of the Maryland Terrapins spirit team holds a state flag before the game against the Towson Tigers at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Maryland Terrapins

The Maryland Baseball team began its season on Friday, heading south for a three-game opening series against UNC Wilmington.

The Terps fared well Friday through Saturday, taking two of the three total contests. Let's dive into the series over the previous two days....

Friday Night, Feb.13th: Game One (Win, 5-3)

Led by a poised pitching performance on the mound by sophomore Lance Williams and a key two-run inning in the seventh, the Terps defeated the Seahawks on opening day.

Williams pitched five total innings, allowing only one run on four hits, retiring six batters on 74 total pitches.

UNC Wilmington (1-2) took the lead early in the second inning on an RBI single. The Terps (2-1) scored one run in back-to-back innings from the third to the fourth. Jackson Sirois scored in the third on a passed ball, and Jordan Crossland reached home plate on a fielder's choice.

Maryland would not relinquish its lead the rest of the way, as Williams pitched scoreless innings in his final three innings on the mound. Cristofer Cespedes filled in relief of Williams in the sixth, allowing just two runs and fanning out a career-high five batters to notch the save.

Rylen Stockland belted a solo homer shot in the sixth, extending Maryland's lead to two runs.

In the seventh inning, Maryland added its insurance runs, drawing an RBI walk and Ryan Costello hitting an RBI double.

Both Maryland and UNC Wilmington had 10 hits.

Saturday Afternoon, Feb.14th: Game Two (Loss, 8-4)

It was a dry spell for the Terps bats through the first five innings, which allowed the Seahawks to take advantage and jump out to a comfortable lead. The Seahawks took a 6-0 lead behind a couple of RBI doubles.

Nic Morlang opened the game on the mound for the Terps, pitching a solid three innings, allowing one run in his debut. Maryland's bullpen could not slow down the Seahawks batters enough to climb back in the contest.

In the sixth inning, Maryland attempted to mount a comeback, only trailing 6-4 behind a three-run bomb to right field by Costello.

Maryland first baseman Paul Jones II drove in the Terps other RBI also in the sixth with an RBI groundout.

But the Terps would not be able to finish the comeback, putting only three runners on base the rest of the way and unable to bring any home. UNC Wilmington added two more runs in the eighth to secure the victory.

Saturday Afternoon, Feb.14th: Game Three (Win, 5-1)

The pitching tandem of Jake Yeager and Logan Hastings kept the Seahawks' batters at bay in a dominant 5-1 series-clinching victory for Maryland. Yeager pitched the first four innings, allowing an opening inning run before clamping down and pitching three-straight scoreless innings.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Maryland (2-1) got on board after an RBI single by Jackson Sirois that tied things up. During the bottom half of the fourth, Brayden Martin made a pair of run-saving plays from the outfield, coming down with a diving catch, keeping two runners at bay, and then throwing out a runner for the final out of the inning at home plate.

Hastings entered the mound in the fifth, not only throwing a no-hitter but also allowing no runs through five innings of work. Hastings struck out four batters, earning his first victory of the young season.

Maryland added three runs from the eighth to the ninth inning (RBI singles by Rylen Stockton & Antonio Morales and a RBI sac fly by David Mendez).

Sirois was the leading batter, going 3-for-5 at the plate with one run and one RBI.

Up Next:

Maryland welcomes in-state foe Georgetown to Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium for its home opener, with first pitch slated for 4 p.m.

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Jaden Golding
JADEN GOLDING

Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.

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