Freshman Brayden Martin walked to the plate with two runners on and one out, and he delivered.
“[I] was never in doubt,” Martin said. “Your guys believe in you, and you feel like you can do anything.”
Once down three runs, the Teprs clawed their way back from an early deficit to defeat the Michigan Spartans 7-6 and earn their first Big Ten matchup. After a rough stretch, the Terps have only lost one of their last eight games and haven’t lost at home this season.
Maryland ace Kenny Lippman got the ball to start the game but had a bumpy start for the second straight game. He quickly gave up two consecutive doubles and allowed three runs to score in the first inning. However, after the first, he threw five scoreless innings, giving the offense a chance to catch the lead.
“We kind of let [Lippman] down a little bit at first, but I appreciate the way he battled,” head coach Matt Swope said
Jordan Crosland started the scoring for Maryland, launching a homer over the left-center field to lower the deficit to two runs. Then, in the fourth inning, Chris Hacopian plated Devin Russell via a double. Power hitter Jacob Orr continued the big offensive inning, hitting a massive two-run homer, which allowed the Terps to take the lead.
The Spartans didn’t back down and tied the game via a homer in the seventh. Trystan Sarcone, who relieved Lippman, allowed the homer but bounced back in the eighth. The Spartans scored another run in the tenth on a wild pitch to take a 6-5 lead.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 4 pm. Maryland hasn’t lost a Big Ten series since 2021 and can continue that streak with a win on Saturday afternoon.
