Taylor has the big bat for Indiana, but the Terps come up on top 6-5
By Carl James @jovian34 April 7th, 2024
Maryland came into this Sunday game 8-1 on the year in one-run games, while Indiana had yet to play one. The experience paid off for the home Terps who went into the final inning tied and walked off in the 9th with a bases-loaded single.
Indiana Hoosiers 5, Maryland Terrapins 6:
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score
Maryland righty freshman Joey McMannis, an MLB Draft prospect continues to make big strides in his development. As the Terrapins Sunday starter he had the best performance of the weekend against a very potent Indiana offense. In 5.1 innings he only allowed three total hits and one earned run. Devin Taylor, who was 1-11 for the weekend going into Sunday, got two of those hits. He had a single and a solo homer in his first two at-bats. That was all of the offense the Hoosiers would muster in the first five innings.
McMannis was on the hook for a potential loss after he mis-threw a comebacker in the 6th inning leading to four unearned runs. This included the only other Hoosier hit, off the bat of catcher Jake Stadler, that drove in the fourth and fifth runs for the Hoosiers.
In the final 3.2 innings, Maryland relied on their top relief pitcher, Logan Berrier who allowed no hits to Hoosier hitters, but did walk three. He gave his offense just enough time to come back and then walk off the Hoosiers in the ninth.
Indiana pitching managed to avoid a truly disastrous inning, but still had command issues all game. Starter Ty Rybarczyk allowed two unearned runs in three innings of work, but was always in jams. He allowed 5 hits, two walks and hit a batter. He was missing catcher Jake Stadler’s target often and many of the pitches out of the zone were no competitive. Rybarczyk managed until Nick Mitchell failed to catch a liner he was charging.
The bottom of the sixth inning was where Maryland did the most damage. WIth one out and a runner on first, Jack Moffitt allowed a deep fly ball to centerfield that Carter Mathison lost in the sun. That started a series of events including an RBI single, a walk to load the bases by Moffitt, a run walked in by Brandon Keyster, and a run forced in on a hit-by-pitch by Drew Buhr.
That would Buhr’s only batter to reach base. He allowed no hits or walks in 2.1 innngs of work after that to keep the game tied going into the ninth. Brayden Risedorph was called in to shut the Terps down in the ninth, but he walked the lead off batter, then surrendered a double to put the winning run on third with no outs. Indiana replaced Mathison in center with Brandon Burkel to add a middle infielder and only have two outfielders. Risedorph got a critical strikeout, but a single found a hole in the shallow infield and drove in the winning run for Maryland.
Indiana dropped to 3-3 and 7th place in the B1G standings, 2.5 games behind second place Illinois who won the series in Bloomington two weeks ago. The Hoosiers have 4-5 Penn State coming to the Bart on Friday. Before that the 18-15 Hoosiers will host in-state opponent Ball State on Tuesday for a non-conference match up.