COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maryland (23-14) took down James Madison (20-17) in a big way, a 19-12 win over the Dukes on Wednesday night at Bob 'Turtle' Smith Stadium in College Park. With the win, Maryland improved to 12-5 at home this season, snapping a two-game home losing streak.
It was a high-powered offensive onslaught from both teams from the beginning of the game as JMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, only until Maryland put up a six-spot of their own in the bottom-half of the inning.
Ian Petrutz equaled his home run total last season and tied the game up with a three-run homer, one of two in the inning as Elijah Lambros hit a two-run shot later in the inning. Eddie Hacopian added some temporary early insurance with a solo home run, Maryland's third of the game, to make it 7-4, only for Jason Schiavone to tie things up with a three-run blast in the third.
Maryland scored in each of the first four innings on Wednesday, scoring multiple runs in three of those four innings.
Nick Lorusso had himself a strong two-straight innings, starting things off with an RBI double in the bottom of the third and clearing the bases with a three-run double in the bottom of the fourth. He finished with a season-high six RBI, tying a career-high set against Towson on March 29, 2022.
With 62 RBI this season, Lorusso is now tied with LSU's Tommy White for third in the country and is now tied with Maryland alum Craig Monrow for 10th all-time in program history for single-season RBI.
Lambros had himself a day just the same, hitting two homers after his three-run blast in the seventh, recording five RBI in the win. Maryland had four hitters with multiple RBI, six with multi-hit games and eight of nine starters scored multiple runs. Hacopian had himself a season-best four hits in the win, scoring three runs and driving in two.
Breaking Down The Action
- James Madison got the scoring started in the top of the first inning, going up 3-0 as Trimble recorded a two-run double and Novak had an RBI groundout.
- Petrutz started the scoring for Maryland in the bottom of the first, hitting a three-run homer to tie the game up at 3-3.
- Zmarzlak helped another run score as an error on the first baseman Novak allowed Hacopian to score, giving Maryland a 4-3 lead.
- Lambros hit the second homer of the inning for the Terps, a two-run shot to left field that put the icing on the cake of a six-run Maryland first, leading 6-3.
- A sacrifice fly from JMU's Dunaway cut Maryland's lead to 6-4 in the top of the second.
- Hacopian homered for Maryland in the bottom of the second to make it a 7-4 game.
- Schiavone tied the game up at 7-7 in the top of the third for the Dukes with a three-run homer.
- Lorusso doubled home a run and Shaw reached on an error that Lorusso scored off of to make it 9-7 Terps in the bottom of the third inning.
- Shliger walked with the bases loaded, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, and then Lorusso cleared the bases with a three-run double, a four-run inning as Maryland led, 13-7.
- Dabney stole home for James Madison to make it a 13-8 game in the top of the fifth.
- JMU tacked on another run in the top of the sixth off an RBI groundout from Trimble, cutting the Maryland lead to 13-9.
- Lorusso hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Maryland a 14-9 lead.
- Hacopian recorded an RBI bunt single later in the seventh and Lambros became the second Terp to hit a three-run homer in the game as Maryland led, 18-9.
- Lorusso drove in his sixth RBI of the game with a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, making it 19-9 Terps, capping off a six-run inning.
- Painter hit a three-run homer to put JMU within seven runs at 19-12, in the top of the eighth.
By The Numbers
- 2: With two homers on Wednesday, Lambros recorded his second multi-homer game of the season. He also achieved the feat on March 10 against Maine.
- 4: Home runs on Wednesday for Maryland
- 4: Hits on Wednesday for Hacopian, a new season-high
- 8: Number of Maryland players with multiple runs scored on Wednesday
- 9: Homers for Petrutz after his first-inning blast, matching his 2022 home run total with the Terps
- 62: Lorusso's RBI total on the year after a six RBI game against James Madison on Wednesday, now tied for third in the country.
- 71: Number of home runs for Maryland this season, catapulting the Terps into the top 10 nationally in the category
Up Next
- The Terps continue their homestand at 6 p.m. Friday as Purdue comes in for a three-game series at The Bob. Friday's game will be broadcast on B1G+ and the Maryland Baseball Network.
