COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland baseball team received a spectacular performance from sophomore RHP Taylor Bloom to take game one before winning the second game in walk-off fashion to sweep Friday's doubleheader over Ohio State at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
The Terrapins (17-15, 3-2 Big Ten) gave up just one run over 19 innings pitched in two games. Junior Madison Nickens was the hero in game two, slapping a walk-off single to score Zack Jancarski in the bottom of the tenth inning.
“I told those guys afterwards that over the course of a successful baseball season, most teams can look back at a day that shows it turned the corner,” head coach John Szefc said. “We've been waiting for that day for that day. This is a big day for our team.”
Game One
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Bloom tossed a 90-pitch complete game shutout to lead the Terps to a 3-0 game one victory over Ohio State.
The Crofton, Md., native took a no-hitter into the sixth and retired the first 16 Ohio State batters in order. Bloom tallied five strikeouts and allowed just three hits. The complete game was Bloom's conference leading third of the season.
The Terrapin offense gave Bloom two quick runs in the bottom of the first. After Madison Nickens walked, Nick Dunn singled and both runners took a base on a throwing error by the shortstop. After Marty Costes struck out, Nick Cieri blooped a single into left to plate Nickens followed by a passed ball that scored Dunn.
From there Bloom and Ohio State starter Tanner Tully sparkled, shutting down both team's offenses in a game that lasted just 1:42. Maryland tacked on another run through Marty Costes in the sixth as the freshman tattooed a Tully offering over the fence in center for his team leading seventh home run of the season.
Bloom moved his ERA to 1.99, the sixth-best in the Big Ten, and he leads the conference in innings pitched (58.2). The sophomore faced just three batters over the minimum in his start. He has walked just five batters to 39 strikeouts for the season.
Game Two
Junior Madison Nickens slapped a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning to give Maryland a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Ohio State in game two.
The Terrapins and Buckeyes engaged in a second consecutive pitchers' duel with sophomore RHP Brian Shaffer and Ohio State lefty John Havird tossing a pair of spectacular games.
Shaffer tossed seven strong innings while striking out five and giving up just one run. The sophomore did not walk a batter and gave up his lone run on a Brady Cherry sac fly in the seventh inning.
The top of the eighth saw LHP Robert Galligan work out of a bases loaded jam to keep the score at 1-0. RHP Ryan Selmer then kept the Buckeyes at bay in the top of the ninth before the Terps tied the game in the bottom half.
Havird exited the game after hitting Nickens with the first pitch of the ninth. Nick Dunn then sent a fly ball that just missed being a home run, before Nickens moved to second on a Marty Costes groundout.
Ohio State looked to have won the game when Nick Cieri struck out, but the junior reached first on a wild pitch that put Nickens on third. Nickens scored when Kevin Biondic grounded to third and reached on an error by the first baseman. Kevin Smith grounded out to end the inning, but the game moved to extra innings at 1-1.
In the tenth, sophomore Zach Jancarski notched the Terps' first hit of the game with a single up the middle before stealing second, Nickens then singled to center to bring home Jancarski and give Maryland the win.
Mike Rescigno earned the win after nabbing the final out of the tenth.
The walk-off was Maryland's first since Kevin Smith scored on an error in the bottom of the ninth in a win over Nebraska on April 5, 2015.
The Terrapins and Buckeyes finish the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m., at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Fans can listen to the action live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
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