Sometime during Indiana’s five run third inning the headline “Hoosiers Take Terps to Church” began bubbling into my consciousness. Given the 11:00 am Sunday start, Annie Savoy’s opening monologue from Bull Durham and the currency of the Hosier song “Take Me to Church” it seemed appropriate. Maryland pitchers issued 11 walks and the hitters made an average Indiana pitching staff look strong for the second consecutive game as the Hoosiers completed a series sweep handing the Terps a sound 6-2 thrashing.
For the first time in the three game series between the Maryland Terrapins and the Indiana Hoosiers baseball squads, a Maryland starting pitcher got out of the first inning unscathed. Junior lefthander Jake Drossner retired the Hoosiers in order striking out one in an efficient 10 pitch inning.
Though Maryland’s Brandon Lowe put a jolt into a ball that needed a leaping catch near the wall by Hoosiers right fielder Will Nolden, Indiana starter Caleb Baragar put the Terps down in order on an even more efficient nine pitches.
Drossner’s strong first inning didn’t carry over to the second inning as the Hoosiers put runners on second and third with but he pitched out that jam. He wasn’t as successful in the third when Indiana again put together a big inning. The visitors scored five times on just three hits as the control issues that have periodically dogged Drossner throughout his career reappeared when he hit a batter and issued three walks – two of which came with the bases loaded.
The Terps got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a massive home run by Kevin Smith that cleared the scoreboard in left field. The blast could have been a two run homer had not Patrick Hisle, who led off the inning with a bunt single, been picked off first two pitches earlier.
Things quieted down over the middle innings. The Hoosiers added one run in the fifth making Maryland’s third pitcher of the day, Alex Robinson, pay for issuing a leadoff walk and a wild throw on a pickoff attempt.
Maryland picked up one more run in the eighth when Smith reached with two on an error by Indiana’s third baseman and came home on Brandon Lowe’s double to the fence in right center. Kevin Martir grounded out to short to end the inning and Maryland went down meekly in the ninth to close out a 6-2 loss as the Hoosiers became the first team to complete a sweep of Maryland.
The Terps will face the Towson Tigers Wednesday night in the annual Ripken Cup game before traveling to Ohio State for their penultimate B1G series of the season.
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