COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Despite eight hits, the Maryland baseball team fell, 9-5, to UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium Wednesday night.

The Terrapins (7-9) went back-and-forth with Anteaters before eventually succumbing in the later innings. Junior Madison Nickens reached base three times and had two RBIs.

UC Irvine struck first in the third inning. Mazur walked before advancing to third after Nick Dunn attempted to double him up at first and threw the ball out of play. Mazur came in to score on a Keston Hiura single.

Maryland responded with a run in the fourth. Dunn started the threat with a single up the middle before Nick Cieri doubled to right center. Freshman Marty Costes then hit a sac fly to bring in Dunn and tie the game.

After UC Irvine plated three unearned runs after a Nickens error in the bottom half of the fourth, the Terps tied the game with three of their own in the fifth. Back-to-back singles from Andrew Bechtold and Justin Morris set up Nickens, who tripled down the right field line to plate two. Nickens came in to score on a Dunn grounder that was mishandled at second.

The back-and-forth action continued as the Anteaters once again responded to take back the lead in the bottom half of the fifth. The Maryland sixth saw Kevin Biondic single to left to lead off the inning. After a pair of outs, Morris walked to extend the inning.

Sophomore Kevin Smith delivered a big two-out single to plate Biondic and make it a 6-5 game.

The Anteaters extended its lead to three with a two-run sixth before grabbing an insurance run in the eighth.

With his single, Dunn has now reached base in all 16 games to start the season.

Maryland returns to the field Friday night at Cal State Fullerton. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET and the action can be heard live on the Maryland Baseball Network.

– Terps –