Nightmare second inning dooms Maryland baseball in 12-1 loss at Michigan

The Terps fell behind early and couldn’t bounce back.

Saturday just wasn’t Maryland baseball’s day. Little went right for the Terps, whose bats went quiet and whose pitching gave up 10 earned runs in a 12-1 defeat.

This game was, for all intents and purposes, over after the second inning, when the Wolverines delivered a demoralizing blow by bringing across eight runs in the frame. The Terps never came close to recovering.

Like Kenny Lippman on Friday, Logan Koester — who’s been phenomenal all season — had a day to forget. He gave up eight earned runs on six hits, including two home runs. He didn’t even make it through the second inning, pulled after 1 ¹⁄₃ innings on the bump.

Michigan’s Collin Priest got the second inning started with an opposite-field solo home run, and the Wolverines got their second run from a Cole Caruso RBI double before AJ Garcia hit a two-run double to make it 4-0. After a two-run single by Mitch Voit, Stephen Hrustich capped the explosive inning with a two-run shot.

Michigan tacked on two more runs in the fourth, bringing its lead to 10-0. Not long after, the Wolverines had scored 12, bringing across two more runs on sacrifice flies in the sixth.

Maryland’s only came came via a Devin Russell solo home run in the fifth inning, with Wolverines starting pitcher Jacob Denner shutting down the Terps in a strong 7 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

Three things to know

1. Chris Hacopian’s absence. Chris Hacopian, Maryland usual starting third baseman and a key bat in the middle of the order, did not play Saturday due to an illness. His absence was noticeable, with Maryland’s offense generating almost no production.

2. Jacob Denner dominated. Denner went 7 ⅔ innings and only gave up only one earned run. He was in complete control of Maryland’s lineup, only allowing three hits and two walks.

3. Nothing went right for Maryland. Besides Russell’s home run, nothing went right for Maryland. The Terps gave up 12 runs, eight of which were charged to their starting pitcher.

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