Box Score COLLEGE PARK, MD – The cardiac Terps did it again. Maryland baseball trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning but completed its 10th comeback win of the season thanks to a walk-off single from Brayden Martin in the bottom of the 10th inning. It was also the Terps' seventh win in a last at-bat and they improved to 7-1 in one run games on the season.
Maryland (18-6, 2-1 B1G) defeated Michigan State (9-12, 1-2 B1G), 5-4, in extra innings during a rubber match at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium on Sunday. The Terps won their 15th consecutive weekend series and 23rd consecutive Big Ten series. Their conference streak dates back to April 2021.
Alex Calarco hit an RBI single and Kevin Keister scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to bring the game within a run. Elijah Lambros was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Martin drew a walk to tie it at 4-4. The big inning set up Martin with a chance to walk it off in extras and he delivered. It was his second walk-off hit against Michigan State after he was the hero in game one of the series on March 22.
The freshman finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs. It was his first career three hit performance.
Freshman Joey McMannis had a strong outing starting on the mound. He pitched six innings and struck out two batters. He surrendered five hits and just two earned runs. Alex Walsh and Logan Berrier pitched the remaining four innings while the Spartans registered just two hits. Berrier earned his fifth win of the season.
Breaking Down The Action
- Jacob Orr reached first base on a fielding error that brought home a runner and gave the Terps a 1-0 entering the fourth inning. Eddie Hacopian was out at the plate but Chris Hacopian scored.
- Michigan State tied things up 1-1 in the fifth inning with a lead off solo homer to left field.
- Ryan McKay singled through the right side to drive in two runs for the Spartans, giving them a 3-1 lead at the top of the sixth inning. Joey McMannis pitched into a double play for the Terps to escape the top of the sixth without any more runs scored.
- Noah Bright built on the Spartans' lead, launching a solo shot to left center field extending the lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning.
- The Terps had two runners on the corners with an opportunity to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but Michigan State escaped the jam by striking out three batters.
- Alex Calarco smacked an RBI single to right center, giving the Terps their first run since the third inning cutting the lead down to 4-2. Kevin Keister advanced home on a wild pitch to cut Michigan State's lead to one. Elijah Lambros was hit by a pitch loading the bases for Maryland, Brayden Martin would then draw a walk to tie things up for the Terps 4-4 entering the ninth inning.
- 1-2-3 inning for the Terps to enter the bottom of the ninth with a chance to walk off again.
- Martin walked it off for the Terps once again, belting a single to the left corner and giving the Terps a 5-4 comeback game.
Swope's Take
"[He] played excellent defense today and had a couple of really good catches," head coach
Matt Swope said about Martin. "I think he's getting more comfortable defensively out there. ...I can't say enough, he hammered that ball right there."
Martin On His Big Hit
"It's pretty unreal. They kind of set it up for me again there and it's just all the confidence. I know they have all the confidence in the world in me so it was good to get it again."
Numbers To Know
- 1: Jordan Crosland stole the first base of his career.
- 1: Brayden Martin notched his first career three hit game.
- 2: Martin registered a walk-off hit twice in the series.
- 2: Maryland is 2-0 on the season in extra innings.
- 5: Martin notched the fifth multi-hit game of his career.
- 7: The win was the Terps seventh in a last at-bat.
- 7: The Terps are 7-1 in one run games.
- 10: The win is Maryland's 10th comeback win of the season.
- 15: Maryland continued its streak of 15 consecutive weekend series wins.
- 17: Hacopian has a 17-game on-base streak.
- 23: The Terps continued its streak of 23 consecutive conference series wins.
Up Next
- Maryland is back in action at Georgetown for a game on March 26 at 4 pm. The game will be featured on Maryland Baseball Network.
