Maryland baseball drops series to Iowa after 14-4, 5-2 defeats

James Gladden was the first bullpen call Saturday but had little success. The redshirt junior released two wild pitches, one of which allowed Nerat to come home to solidify a five-run lead.

Peyton Mamula took the mound next for only the second appearance of his college career. Wulf knocked a single to left field on his first pitch of the day. Six pitches later, he allowed a three-RBI triple to pass him, putting the Terps one run away from a dreaded run-rule ending.

Like clockwork, Iowa’s Jaixen Frost knocked an RBI single to left field, allowing Nerat to come home and end game one.

Game 2: Iowa wins, 5-2

The Hawkeyes earned several bases in the bottom of the first after a walk, a hit by pitch and a lineout — allowing players to advance with an out to go. Pitcher Logan Hastings got out of the jam, though, pitching his first of four strikeouts to end the inning.

The Hawkeyes got on the board first once again. In the bottom of the second inning, Iowa’s Brett White singled to shallow right field for an RBI as Nerat came around the diamond. White attempted to steal second base, but the umpires agreed that Mendez beat him to the bag to end the inning.

Maryland soon faced the same fate, as freshman Bud Coombs got caught stealing second to close the top of the third without a breakthrough.

After a runless fourth inning, a fielder’s choice play allowed another Iowa run to come around in the bottom of the fifth. On the next at bat, a single to shallow right field from Geffre brought in two more runners, giving the Hawkeyes a four-run lead.

Bud Coombs blasted a solo shot to left field for his third home run of the season, finally putting the Terps on the board in the top of the sixth inning, before Iowa punched back with an RBI double.

Maryland shortstop Ty Kaunas hit a bomb on his first pitch in the top of the ninth, sending the ball 386 feet over the right field fence, giving the Terps an inkling of hope now three runs behind.

But a swinging strikeout, a fly out and a ground out at second base closed the game and cost Maryland the conference weekend series.

Three things to know

1. Walk it out. Maryland has walked the most batters in the Big Ten (213), including Saturday’s games. The Terps average about five walks per game, just as they logged in Game 2 against the Hawkeyes.

2. Cespedes back on the mound. Cespedes made his way back to the mound for the first time since last week’s one-inning performance against Indiana. The sophomore right-hander logged four strikeouts in three full innings, only allowing two hits and one earned run.

3. Freshman frenzy. Three true freshmen — Hawton-Henley, Coombs and Kaunas — have logged Maryland’s only home runs of the series so far. They are three of Maryland’s five true freshman batters.