Maryland baseball scores season-high in runs with emphatic, 23-11 victory over Towson in 8 innings

Three weeks ago, Maryland baseball defeated Towson, 15-7, aided by five Terps drawing walks in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded. In Tuesday’s contest, Maryland’s offense again stayed patient when necessary, recording six runs — a quarter of its overall scoring — via walks. Maryland dominated Towson, 23-11, on Tuesday at Brooks Robinson Field in the second matchup between the two squads.

The eight-inning victory marked the Terps’ highest-scoring game this season. Maryland led the Big Ten in walks with 294 entering Tuesday’s contest and quickly expanded that lead. After two grounders in the top of the first, redshirt freshman Ryan Costello and junior David Mendez earned walks before sophomore Paul Jones II was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Then, freshman Bud Coombs launched his fifth home run of the season over the right field fence, notching his first collegiate grand slam. The Terps collected six more runs in the top of the second inning, the first of which came off of three straight walks that ended Towson starter Jake Michel’s day. Towson left-hander Vincent Salvo took the mound and only threw four pitches to Costello before the redshirt freshman blasted his 15th home run and fourth grand slam of the season.

Three pitches later, Mendez smashed his ninth homer of the season. That gave the Terps a 10-run lead heading into the bottom of the second — but there, Towson cut the deficit in half. Back-to-back singles and a fly out led to Max D’Alessandro stealing second as Keldrin Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch.