COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Freshman Kevin Smith hit a game tying two-run homer in the seventh and scored the winning run in the ninth as the No. 17 Maryland baseball team rallied past No. 18 Nebraska for a 6-5 win and a series sweep at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Sunday.
After falling behind by five runs in the first two innings, the Terrapins (22-7, 7-2) scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth before Smith's two-run home run in the seventh. Junior Alex Robinson pitched two spotless innings to relief in a tie ballgame before Smith scored from second on an error to win it in the ninth.
Nebraska jumped on the Terrapins early. In the first, Ryan Boldt was hit by the first pitch of the game and ended up scoring on a Tanner Lubach groundout.
The Huskers grabbed four more runs in the second. The damage came on Lubach's pop up, which was mishandled by Smith and allowed three Husker runs to score. Nebraska left the second with a 5-0 lead.
In the fourth, junior Kevin Martir's solo shot to left center started the Terps' comeback. Freshman Jamal Wade hit a sole home run of his own in the fifth to make the score 5-2. The homer was Wade's third in three career hits.
Junior Jose Cuas started off the sixth with a single before junior Anthony Papio laced a double to the opposite field to plate Cuas and make the score 5-3 Nebraska.
The Terps tied the game in the seventh. Wade singled to left before consecutive Terrapin outs brought up Smith. The sophomore crushed a Jeff Chestnut offering to left field for his second home run of the season to knot up the game at 5-5.
Robinson entered in the eighth and worked out of a jam before facing the minimum in the ninth. The junior has still not allowed an earned run in 13 innings of work this season.
In the ninth, Smith began the threat with a single before Martir singled the sophomore over to second. Cuas then grounded the ball to Wes Edrington at short, who flipped the ball to Jake Placzek for the force at second. Placzek's subsequent throw to first was wide and allowed Smith to come in to score.
Maryland returns to action on Tuesday against West Virginia at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
-Terps-
