Skip To Main Content

University of Maryland Athletics

Team Huddle Before Game Three Against Western Huddle
9
Maryland UMD 3-3
11
Winner Western Carolina WCU 3-4
Maryland UMD
3-3
9
Final
11
Western Carolina WCU
3-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Maryland UMD 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 1 9 8 3
Western Carolina WCU 2 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 3 11 16 0

W: Carter Burnette (1-0) L: Koshy, Andrew (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Terps Drop Series Finale To Western Carolina In Extras, 11-9

CULLOWHEE, NC – Maryland baseball was defeated by Western Carolina in 10 innings, 11-9, in the series finale at Hennon Stadium on Sunday. Maryland lost the series despite winning game two, in which it set program records for runs (35) and hits (28) in a dominant 35-12 victory. The Terps are now 3-3 overall through six games. 

Western Carolina's (3-4) Elijah Smith hit a three-run homer with two outs to give the Catamounts a walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th. It was his first career home run and just the third hit of his career.  

Previously, Alex Calarco scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the 10th inning, breaking an 8-8 tie that sent the game to extras. Even before that, in the top of the ninth inning, trailing 7-4, Chris Hacopian cleared the bases with a two-out grand slam. The homer momentarily gave the Terps an 8-7 advantage. The Catamounts sent the game to extras by drawing a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.   
  The slam by Hacopian gives the Terps six grand slams in their first six games, as Hacopian has two, hitting the first one in the season opener. Calarco has the other three. College records aren't available to confirm if a team has ever hit six grand slams in a six-game span. For perspective, never in Major League Baseball history since 1901, has a team his six grand slams in a six-game span, let alone in the first six games of a season. The 2020 San Diego Padres hit five grand slams in a six-game span within a season from Aug. 17-22, 2020.

In 2023, Maryland hit grand slams in each of its first three games and a national-best 11 grand slams, the third-most by any team in the history of collegiate baseball. Nick Lorusso and Ian Petrutz hit two that season.

Hacopian went 3-for-3 with two walks, six RBIs and two runs. His slam was one of two homers in the game. He also hit a two-run homer in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. He now has 18th career homers. 

The other two came on a bases-loaded walk awarded to Calarco and a passed ball that Jacob Orr scored on. Orr stole third base, the first swiped bag of his career, to set up the scoring play. Orr went 2-for-4 in the game. 

Calarco now has 20 RBIs this season, including 12 in the series. His RBI total through six games ranks among the most in Division I baseball. 

Omar Melendez drew his first start and his second appearance on the mound this season. He threw four innings while striking out four batters and allowing just two earned runs on five hits. Logan Hastings, Andrew Johnson, Ryan Bailey and Andrew Koshy combined to finish the outing. Bailey pitched two innings in his collegiate debut. He gave up just two hits and a run.     


Breaking Down The Action
  • The Terps loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first. The Catamounts walked Alex Calarco, allowing him to bring Brayden Martin home. They led 1-0.
  • Western Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double and single. However, Omar Melendez struck out the final batter to strand the Catamounts with bases loaded. Western Carolina led 2-1 entering the second. 
  • The Catamounts tacked on a run in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly. They led 3-1. 
  • Chris Hacopian tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer in the third to deep left field. He drove in his brother, Eddie Hacopian.
  • Western Carolina took a 6-3 lead in the fifth with a sac fly, a throwing error and an RBI single. 
  • The Terps got one of their runs back as Jacob Orr scored on a passed ball in the seventh. He stole third base to set up the scoring play after hitting a double. 
  • The Catamounts answered the run in the bottom of the inning with a sac fly RBI. They led 7-4. 
  • Chris Hacopian gave the Terps an 8-7 lead with a grand slam in the top of the ninth. It was his second homer in the contest.
  • Western Carolina scored a run to send the game to extras in the bottom of the inning, drawing a bases-loaded hit by pitch.  
  • Calarco scored on a wild pitch with bases loaded to give the Terps a 9-8 lead in the 10th. 
  • The Catamounts then walked it off with a three-run homer with two outs. 
Weekend Wrap-Up
  • Take a look back at a few of the Terps' top performers on the weekend of the three-game series against Western Carolina in Cullowhee, where Maryland scored 51 total runs and accumulated 46 hits. The Terps scored 35 of their runs and 28 of their hits in game two, as both broke program records. 
  • Alex Calarco went 8-for-14 with two home runs. Both were grand slams, giving him 20 RBIs and five runs scored. 
  • Chris Hacopian went 8-for-11 with 11 RBIs and nine runs. His six runs scored in game two were an individual program record. 
Numbers To Know
  • 1: Bailey made his collegiate debut on the mound in relief. 
  • 1: Orr stole third base in the seventh inning for his first career swiped bag. 
  • 1: Melendez earned his first start of the season.
  • 5: Calarco has an RBI in five of Maryland's first six games. 
  • 6: This is Maryland's sixth grand slam in six games. 
  • 13: The Terps have launched 13 home runs over the six games this season. 
  • 14: Chris Hacopian posted his 14th game with multiple RBIs. 
  • 18: Chris Hacopian hit the 18th home run of his career. 
  • 20: Calarco leads the Terps with 20 RBIs through six games, ranking among the best in the country. 
  • 26: This was Chris Hacopian's 26th multi-hit game. 
  • 26: Orr has 26 multi-hit games in his career.  
Up Next
  • Maryland will host Delaware for its season opener at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium during a midweek matchup on Feb. 25. The game will be aired on Big Ten Plus and Maryland Baseball Network.
Print Friendly Version