CHAMPAIGN, IL – Maryland baseball was defeated by Illinois, 7-4, at Illinois Field on Saturday afternoon. Maryland is now 14-16 overall and 3-7 in Big Ten, heading into game two against Illinois on Sunday.
After Illinois (16-11, 5-5 Big Ten) took a 4-1 lead with two runs scored in the bottom of the fifth, Jacob Orr accounted for all three of Maryland's runs scored in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run game. However, the Illini responded with two runs in the eight and Maryland was unable to get a runner on base in the ninth.
Orr hit a two-RBI triple to right-center in the fifth and came home to score on a passed ball. It was his third career triple and his first of the season. Orr led the Terps with two RBIs and two runs.
Elijah Lambros drove in the other run for the Terps in the fourth to cut the Illini lead in half at 2-1. He was one of seven Terps who recorded at least one hit.
Parker Corbin (2-for-4) was the lone Terp to post multiple hits. It was the freshman's second multi-hit game.
Kyle McCoy started on the mound and pitched 4.1 innings, surrendering two earned runs on five hits. He struck out five batters, doing so for the fifth time this season.
Andrew Johnson supplied two innings of relief, giving up just two hits and one run with four strikeouts. Jack Wren pitched the final two innings. He struck out two batters and surrendered two runs on two hits.
Breaking Down The Action
- Illinois took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-RBI double.
- Elijah Lambros cut the deficit in half with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. The ball was dribbling foul but curled fair at the last minute, preventing a play. The Terps then had bases-loaded after Brayden Martin's infield single but grounded into a double-play to end the first inning.
- The Illini tacked on two runs to lead 4-1 in the fifth. The first run was on a RBI single. Lambros nearly threw the runner out at home with a strike from center field, but the Illinois base runner strategically avoided the tag from Alex Calarco.
- Illinois scored another run in the sixth. However, Andrew Johnson worked out of a bases-loaded jam to get out of the inning. The Illini led 5-1.
- Jacob Orr was responsible for all three runs the Terps scored in the seventh to trail only 5-4. He hit a two-RBI triple into the right-center gap and came home to score on a passed ball.
- The Illini scored two pivotal runs in the eighth with a two-run double to lead 7-4.
Numbers To Know
- 2: Corbin recorded his second career multi-hit game.
- 3: Orr hit the third triple of his career and first of the season.
- 5: This was McCoy's fifth start with five or more strikeouts.
- 34: Chris Hacopian has a 34-game on-base streak.
- 35: Calarco has a 35-game on-base streak.
Up Next
- Maryland will play its second game of the series tomorrow, April 6, at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus and broadcast on Maryland Baseball Network.
