Maryland baseball’s three-run first inning sparks its 9-4 win over Illinois

Illinois third baseman Trent Hammond slapped the ground on the third base line twice after he was unable to secure Maryland baseball shortstop Kevin Smith’s two-RBI double in the bottom of the first inning Friday night.

Before Smith’s knock, Terps third baseman AJ Lee sent a soft bunt in Hammond’s direction that he was unable to field. That miscue sparked the No. 23 Terps’ three-run first inning that led to their 9-4 win in Champaign, Illinois, two days after coach John Szefc’s squad used a late rally to top Towson.

Maryland associate head coach Rob Vaughn challenges Maryland’s hitters to score seven runs each game, and against Illini freshman right-hander Ty Weber, it didn’t long for the team to accomplish that feat.

Second baseman Nick Dunn, designated hitter Will Watson and Lee, who hit sixth in the first game of the three-game series, all drove in runs to push Maryland’s advantage to six in the second. By the time Watson walked with the bases loaded in the third, the Terps boasted an eight-run edge.

Right-hander Brian Shaffer entered Friday with the best ERA among Maryland’s weekend starters and continued to impress, facing just one hitter more than the minimum through the first two frames. But then, the Illini rallied, a possible consequence of Shaffer remaining in the Terps dugout for long increments while the offense generated multiple runs through the first few innings.

Dunn couldn’t field second baseman Michael Massey’s ground ball to second base in the third, enabling a pair of runs. Then, right fielder Jack Yalowitz’s home run to right-center field cut the Terps lead to fourth in the fifth.

Shaffer settled in, though. Over eight innings, the junior allowed four runs, just two of which were earned, while walking one and striking out eight.

Despite the sizable lead, Maryland’s offense continued to produce with its ace on the mound. Smith’s sixth-inning triple increased Maryland’s edge to 9-4.

Right-hander Ryan Hill pitched a scoreless ninth, protecting Maryland’s early lead that bothered Hammond at third base.