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

Maryland baseball came off its biggest and most important win of the season last weekend — a rubber-match walk-off win against Indiana, opening the door for the Terps to turn their season around in conference play. A massive midweek win against local rival Towson could have propelled Maryland to another chance at conference victory. However, the Terps reverted to a pattern of conference defeat in back-to-back weekend losses against the Iowa Hawkeyes, costing them their fifth conference series of the year.

Game 1: Iowa wins, 14-4 The Terps loaded the bases quickly in the top of the first inning after Iowa pitcher Tyler Guerin walked Kaunas and hit both Paul Jones II and Rylen Stockton. David Mendez used it to his advantage, opening the scoring with a two-run RBI single. Maryland’s first inning spark didn’t last long as the Terps’ batting staff couldn’t bank another hit in the top of the third inning.

The Hawkeyes, however, were much more successful. Kooper Scheulte reached first on a fielder’s choice, opening the door for a 394-foot, two-run right field-bound blast from Iowa’s Gable Mitchell to tie the game. Both Miles Risley and Caleb Wulf poked singles through the left side to board the bases before they emptied yet again.

This time, it was at the hands of Iowa’s Carter Geffre, who knocked a bomb 414 feet deep for a three-run home run. Joey Narat joined in on the hit-fest, tacking on another RBI to make it a six-run third inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Nate Hawton-Henley hit a bomb to left field for his second home run of the season, closing Maryland’s deficit to two runs.