Third baseman AJ Lee crossed the plate screaming, “Let’s go, baby!” in the fourth inning of the Maryland baseball team’s 8-5 win against No. 1-seed Nebraska in Friday night’s Big Ten tournament elimination game. Left fielder Madison Nickens clapped twice after sliding safely into third base.
Nickens’ three-RBI triple with the bases loaded fueled the No. 4-seed Terps in a four-run inning, the type of explosive frame that lifted coach John Szefc’s team in the weeks leading up to its final four series of the regular season.
Led by Nickens’ early hit and Lee’s first-inning, three-run home run that gave left-hander Tyler Blohm a lead before he took the mound, Maryland won its second elimination game in as many days. The Terps will face Northwestern in the tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon.
Blohm, who scuffled in his last few starts, took advantage of the early edge. Cornhuskers shortstop Angelo Altavilla’s solo home run in the first gave Nebraska its first run, and second baseman Jake Schleppenbach and center fielder Luis Alvarado added RBIs to cut the lead to 7-3 by the fifth inning.
Still, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year didn’t allow the Cornhuskers, who fell to Iowa earlier Friday, to come back. He fell behind in counts but was able to rebound.
Over 4.1 innings, Blohm allowed five hits and three runs with four walks. His 10 strikeouts were a new career high.
The Cornhuskers capitalized on right-hander Jared Price’s wild pitch and second baseman Nick Dunn’s error in the sixth, scoring twice in the frame. But that was as close as the regular-season conference champions would get.
In his longest outing this season, Price tossed 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and two runs, only one of which was earned, and striking out five. His performance allowed assistant coach Ryan Fecteau to use just two pitchers in advance of Saturday’s contest, when the Terps — having already used their three weekend starters — will likely depend on numerous relievers.
Right fielder Marty Costes gave Maryland an insurance run, as his ninth-inning RBI single pushed the Terps’ lead to three, but it didn’t matter. The team’s early rally established a lead it didn’t relinquish.
