Maryland’s pitching staff has struggled these past couple of weeks.
In Minnesota two weeks ago, the bullpen gave up leads in the eighth inning of two games, contributing to the Terps’ series loss.
Then against Purdue, a team outside the Top 200 in the nation in RPI, the Terps were without starting pitcher Taylor Bloom. Plus, starter Brian Shaffer struggled in the first game of that series, and Maryland lost, 7-1, before recovering with wins in Games 2 and 3 to take that series.
But visiting Penn State this weekend — starting when right-hander Mike Shawaryn earned his first Friday start since moving back in the rotation on April 8 — the staff broke out of its slump.
Shawaryn embraced his return to the Terps’ ace position, tossing a complete game and limiting the Nittany Lions to one earned run. He struck out six, walked one, and allowed four hits.
The junior’s performance gave the Terps a boost throughout the weekend, head coach John Szefc said, as Maryland out-scored Penn State, 15-6, in the three-game series. Despite suffering a 2-0 loss in the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Terps earned a 2-1 series win over Penn State at Medlar Field.
“Everybody will tell you he’s our best player,” coach John Szefc said of Shawaryn. “When your best player is playing his best like on Friday, everyone else is also at their best. It can be basketball, football, whatever.”
Behind Shawaryn, the Terps scored seven runs on 11 hits to earn a 7-1 series-opening win.
The third game of the series, was a similar story, as Shaffer bounced back from his performance against Purdue to toss seven innings, giving up two runs, one of which was unearned.
The offense supported Shaffer with eight runs, capped off by a four-run seventh inning that started with a leadoff single from outfielder Madison Nickens.
In Games 1 and 3, Nickens was a combined 4-for-8 from the plate with three RBIs and three runs. In those contests, Nickens, who bats leadoff for the Terps, started an inning four times. He was 3-for-4 in those chances, including his eighth home run of the year on Friday. He came around to score after each of his leadoff hits.
“He had a great weekend,” Szefc said. “He came up with some big hits in big times for us.”
In Game 2, Nickens’ only hit was a one-out single in the ninth with the Terps trailing 2-0. His teammates couldn’t bring him home though, and the Terps were shutout for the third time this year and the first time since March 12 against Bryant.
After missing last weekend, Bloom showed little signs of rust in the defeat, throwing all eight innings and holding the Nittany Lions to two runs on nine hits.
The offense, meanwhile, collected seven hits total. and had at least one baserunner in seven of the nine innings in Game 2. But the unit went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 players on base.
