Right-hander Taylor Bloom looked toward the Maryland baseball dugout and clenched his fist as he exited the mound after the seventh inning of the Terps’ first game against Bryant on Sunday afternoon.
It had seemed coach John Szefc would replace Bloom, who entered the outing with a 7.50 ERA, with one of the relievers warming up. But with runners on first and third and one out, Szefc allowed Bloom to pitch to Bulldogs pinch hitter Gaby Cruz. With a 1-1 count, Cruz grounded into a routine 5-4-3 double play to spark Bloom’s reaction.
It was the final instance Bloom ended a potential Bulldogs rally. Bryant scored a run in the third and sixth innings, which featured Maryland errors, but he overcame the miscues to lead Maryland’s 9-2 win, its seventh straight triumph.
In his seven innings, Bloom allowed four hits and two unearned runs while walking a pair and striking out three. His extended outing followed right-hander Brian Shaffer’s seven-frame start Friday in the series opener.
While Shaffer had to wait for the offense to rally late in that win, the offense had success early Saturday against Bulldogs left-hander Chris Wright. The Terps scored three runs in the first, marking the first time since last Sunday’s victory against Dayton they tallied the first point. That’s all Bloom needed.
But the Terps continued to capitalize against Bryant’s bullpen for insurance. Center fielder Zach Jancarski, who went 3-for-4, plated two runs with an RBI double down the left field line in the fifth, and first baseman Brandon Gum’s first home of the season, a two-run shot to left, helped push Maryland’s advantage to seven.
Right-hander John Murphy held the Bulldogs scoreless in the final two innings.
After struggling to start the year, Bloom produced his second consecutive seven-inning performance. And unlike in Maryland’s 7-1 win Friday, the offense provided the Terps starter with all the support he needed before taking the mound for the second frame.
