COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The University of Maryland baseball team beat Ohio State in walk-off fashion on Saturday afternoon, as Luke Shliger drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to lock up a 5-4 series-clinching win over the Buckeyes at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.

What You Should Know

• Maryland (12-12) clinched the weekend series and season series against Ohio State (13-11) with Saturday's 5-4 win. The Terps match up with the Buckeyes one more time this season, as Jason Savacool opposes Jack Neely for a Sunday matinee in College Park.
• The Terps improve to .500 for the first time this season, now standing tied for sixth in the Big Ten conference.
• Shliger's bases-loaded walk-off walk was Maryland's first walk-off victory since AJ Lee's two-run walk-off homer against Iowa in 2019.
• Saturday's tilt was a vintage pitcher's duel through the first five innings. Both Maryland starter Nick Dean and Ohio State starter Seth Lonsway took no-hit bids into the fifth inning. Dean allowed just a single baserunner on a walk before losing his no-hitter with two down in the fifth, while Lonsway took his no-hitter through four and a third, only allowing baserunners in the previous innings on two walks and a hit batter.
• Maryland broke through first, scoring the first run of the afternoon on a Chris Alleyne steal of second base which forced an errant throw from Lonsway to the first baseman. Alleyne never looked back and kept his foot on the gas, racing home and beating out the tag from the Buckeye catcher to make it 1-0 in the fifth.
• The Terps added another run in the sixth as Costes - who led off the inning with a hard-hit double off the fence in right center - advanced to third on a groundout from Shliger, then came home on a wild pitch.
• Ohio State tied things up in the seventh as a leadoff single and a two-run blast off Dean knotted the game up at two apiece. Dean worked out of the inning with no further damage, and then worked a clean eighth where he threw just seven pitches.
• The Buckeyes went to Griffan Smith out of the bullpen in relief of Lonsway in the seventh, which he worked through with no trouble. The eighth was a different story for Smith however, as Matthew Shaw hit the go-ahead homer off him to make it a 3-2 ballgame, and two batters later Shliger went deep to make it a two-run game.
• Maryland skipper Rob Vaughn went to closer Sam Bello in the ninth, looking for Bello's fifth save of the season. After allowing three consecutive singles, Bello's bases-loaded walk pushed in the Buckeyes' third run, while the tying run came home on an RBI groundout.
• Greg Beals, who manages Ohio State's squad, went to his closer in the bottom half of the ninth. TJ Brock tossed a perfect ninth to force extras, notching a Gardiner flyout, Keister groundout, and Langerman strikeout to retire the Maryland side in order.
• Bello returned to the mound for the 10th inning, getting two quick outs before allowing back-to-back singles. David Falco retired the only batter he faced, inducing a grounder up the middle that was gobbled up by Cowles who stepped on second for the force and third out of the inning.
• Brock returned for the bottom half of the ninth, struggling with his command as Alleyne drew a four-pitch leadoff walk and Shaw reached on a HBP. Cowles laid down a well-executed sacrifice bunt to advance the runners and bring Costes to the plate. Ohio State opted to intentionally walk the preseason All-American, loading the bags and bringing up Shliger to the plate. The freshman from Danbury, Connecticut took a patient, veteran approach at the plate, working a walk on a full count to bring home the winning run. 

Up Next

• Maryland faces Ohio State on Sunday for the fifth time this season and third game of the weekend. The Terps are looking for their first three-game sweep of the season, which would put them above .500 for the first time this spring. Maryland will hand the ball off to freshman right-hander Jason Savacool on the mound, where he will oppose Buckeye starter Jack Neely. The game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch and will be streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus and broadcast on the Maryland Baseball Network.