Maryland baseball shortstop Pat Hisle had one plate appearance this season entering the team’s weekend series with Rutgers. He matched that total when he was called upon in the fifth inning Saturday. So, by the time Hisle hit in the Terps’ 9-1 win over Rutgers in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, he likely felt more comfortable despite the unusual circumstances.
It seemed Hisle, who started both games Sunday as a result of shortstop Kevin Smith’s apparent shoulder injury, would play a significant role in the second inning. His sacrifice bunt pushed runners to second and third with one out for the top of the order. But the Scarlet Knights retired the next two batters, one of the few occasions the Terps were unable to capitalize.
Hisle’s 1-for-4 afternoon contributed to the Terps’ nine-run, 10-hit outing, which included home runs for first baseman Brandon Gum and right fielder Marty Costes. The duo combined to drive in five runs, helping Maryland sweep the Scarlet Knights in its second Big Ten series of the year.
“Those are days that are fun for our program, when you get guys like Pat that are stepping into a role for an injured guy and not really missing a beat,” coach John Szefc said. “It’s good for the whole organization.”
[Read more: Maryland baseball’s small-ball approach helped it top Rutgers, 6-1]
By the time Hisle came to bat in the third inning, the Terps held a five-run advantage. After two runs in the first, Costes started the third frame with a long ball to center field. Gum, the next batter, followed with a left-field blast.
With Hisle at the plate, Maryland added another run on a throwing error by the Scarlet Knights’ catcher before he drove in his first run of the year.
Hisle made solid contact with a hanging breaking ball, depositing it into the left-center field gap. As Hisle rounded first base, he tripped and fell before regrouping and running toward second. It was unfamiliar territory for Hisle and for the Terps, who won their third game by seven or more runs this season.
By the time left-hander Tyler Blohm left the mound in the sixth, the Terps had a nine-run advantage. Four Maryland players finished with at least two hits.
Though Blohm lacked the pinpoint command he displayed against Bryant and Princeton — he walked an uncharacteristic three hitters — he kept the Scarlet Knights guessing enough to give up one run and one hit over 5 ⅔ innings.
“It’s always fun playing behind [Blohm],” left fielder Madison Nickens said. “It’s easy from a defensive perspective to stay on your toes when the guy’s throwing strikes. Good tempo, good strike thrower: that makes for a good day.”
Pitching coach Ryan Fecteau didn’t call upon the bullpen until he signaled for right-hander Jared Price to enter with two outs in the sixth, the game seemingly out of reach.
Rutgers threatened to score in the seventh inning, but Price struck out consecutive batters to escape the bases-loaded jam. He pitched 1 ⅓ scoreless innings in relief, right-hander Mike Rescigno tossed a scoreless eighth and right-hander Hunter Parsons worked around a one-out double in the ninth to secure the win.
“Just swinging early,” Gum said of the team’s offensive approach. “Marty had [five] at-bats today and probably didn’t see more than 15 pitches. He was hammering anything up there in the zone. … Most guys are going to pitch you the same way. You just go up there and carry your approach and you’re going to do all right.”
