BALTIMORE, Maryland, Saturday, March 26, 2017 - Behind most of the game by a variety of different scores, the University of Maryland's Baseball Team battled back to defeat No. 18 Michigan for the second straight night, this time by a score of 5-4. The Terrapins trailed at various times in the nationally broadcast game by scores of 1-0, 2-1, 3-1 and finally by 4-3. Each time Maryland fought back in front of the biggest crowd of the season (615) on a balmy night in College Park
The final rally took place over two different innings. With the Wolverines on top, 4-3, Maryland came to bat in the bottom of the 6th. Will Watson led off and promptly drilled a home run down the left field line to tie the score. It was Watson's second homer of the season.
Maryland waited until the bottom of the 8th to score the winning run. Once again, Watson was in the middle of the uprising. Nick Dunn started it off with an infield single. With one out, Watson drilled a single to left field. Wolverine left fielder Miles Lewis charged the hard hit but sinking line drive and at the last made a head long dive for the ball. He did not really come close to catching it, however, and the ball ricocheted off of him and rolled away in the outfield. This allowed Dunn to sprint to third base. Dunn's head first dive to the bag was not exactly a thing of beauty but it got him to the base safely., putting runners at the corners.
Madison Nickens was up next, and he hit a line drive to the Michigan Right Fielder, Jonathan Engelmann. The Wolverine outfielder caught the ball and then threw home, where Dunn, who had tagged up, was trying to score. The Michigan Catcher, Harrison Wenson, a senior, jumped into the baseline as the throw approached, and completely blocked access to the plate. Dunn crashed into him in an awkward manner, then tumbled past Wenson and onto the plate. Wenson tried to swing his glove hand behind him to tag Dunn, but it appeared that Dunn had already scored. It didn't matter. Wenson was called for catcher's interference for blocking the baseline long before he got the ball.
Wolverine Coach Erik Bakich - who was the Terrapin Coach from 2010 through 2012, did not put up much of an argument for what was a fairly obvious call. The run that Dunn scored was the winning run, because Ryan Selmer came on and retired Michigan in the 9th to earn his 3rd save. The game ended on a nifty doubleplay. With a runner at first base and one out, Lewis hit a hard ground ball to Terrapin first baseman Kevin Biondic. Biondic fielded the ball cleanly and stepped on the bag to retire Lewis for the second out. He then threw to Terp shortstop, Kevin Smith, who was covering second base. Smith took the throw cleanly and tagged out the sliding Wolverine runner, Drew Lugbauer, who had singled, to end the game.
Andrew Miller was credited with the win after he threw a scoreless 8th inning for Maryland. Maryland starter Taylor Bloom lacked his usual sharp control, but he survived five gritty innings to keep Maryland in the game. He left with Michigan leading, 4-3, after throwing 85 pitches and giving up 3 earned runs on 8 hits. The Maryland bullpen was fabulous in relief. Besides Miller and Selmer, the Terps got two shut out innings from the junior, Ryan Hill.
Maryland had won Friday Night's game, 7-2, thanks to 8 fabulous innings from number one starter Brian Shaffer. Shaffer improved to 3-1 in stopping the Wolverines on only five hits.
After Saturday's second straight win over Michigan, Maryland improved to 15-7 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan dropped to 16-6 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. The two teams conclude the opening series of the conference campaign on Sunday at Shipley Field. First pitch is set for 1 pm. The game will be televised by BTN Plus and broadcast on the Maryland Baseball Network.
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