The Maryland baseball team picked up its second consecutive walk-off win Sunday, completing a sweep over Ohio State with a 5-4 win capped off by catcher Dan Maynard’s game-ending single in the ninth.
The Terps entered the final frame trailing 4-2, but they scored three runs before Ohio State recorded an out. The dugout emptied and dog piled on top of Maynard near first base after his walk-off single went into left field.
The Buckeyes began the scoring with a double in the top of the third inning, and scored another with a shallow pop fly that Terps second baseman Nick Dunn couldn’t get under to catch.
In that inning, right-hander Mike Shawaryn — whose problems this season coach John Szefc attributes mostly to a lack of control — issued two of his three walks, including the leadoff batter who came around to score the game’s first run.
Shawaryn earned a no decision on the afternoon, but he showed improvement after a slow start to the year. The Terps ace, who usually starts Fridays, allowed four runs over 6.1 innings, striking out a season-high 10.
Ohio State countered with freshman Ryan Feltner, who stymied the Terps offense early Sunday. Feltner didn’t allow a baserunner until there were two outs in the fourth inning, when he hit left fielder Marty Costes.
That was a sign of things to come, as Feltner began struggling to throw strikes. With one out in the fifth inning, shortstop Kevin Smith walked on four pitches, setting the table for center fielder Anthony Papio.
Papio turned on a two-strike fastball from Feltner and lined it off the right-field wall, ensuring the Terps wouldn’t have a repeat of Friday night’s game. In that matchup, Maryland was no-hit until the 10th inning.
But Papio’s double ended Feltner’s no-hit bid at 4.1 innings and scored Smith to cut the Buckeyes lead to 2-1. Feltner exited just one batter later after giving up a single that put runners on first and third with one out, but the Terps couldn’t capitalize. A failed safety squeeze and a pop out ended the inning.
Papio also had a two-run single in the ninth that tied the game and set the stage for Maynard’s walk-off two batters later.
Shawaryn settled into a groove in the middle innings, retiring 10 straight batters at one point, but he ran into trouble in the seventh. He surrendered a lead-off double and was removed after the Buckeyes took a 3-1 lead on a bunt single.
They’d add another run in the inning, but the Terps got one back in their half of the seventh on a solo home run from Smith.
The Buckeyes bullpen faltered again in the game’s final inning, as Ohio State right-hander Yianni Pavlopoulos gave up his second walk-off in as many games, enabling the Terps to pick up the sweep.
