After Maryland baseball starter Taylor Bloom was struck with an errant foul ball in batting practice Friday and was ruled out for the contest, emergency starter Mike Vasturia had about 30 minutes to prepare to take the mound against Michigan.
It wasn’t enough time.
Against the Wolverines, who entered with a 15-game winning streak, Vasturia was knocked around early. The Terps couldn’t recover from Bloom’s freak injury, falling to Michigan, 10-4, at Ray Fisher Stadium for their sixth straight series-opening defeat.
The Wolverines had 12 long balls before Friday, the third-fewest in the Big Ten, and Vasturia hadn’t allowed a home run in 14 innings this year. But following a leadoff walk and a bloop double to plate the first run, he surrendered a two-run shot to first baseman Jesse Franklin and a solo homer to designated hitter Dominic Clementi.
Michigan (20-11, 7-0 Big Ten) returned to its typical style of play in the next frame, when shortstop Jack Blomgren reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Last season, the Wolverines stole a conference-best 125 bags, and they’re third in the Big Ten this year. Blomgren’s read on the ball in the dirt set up right fielder Christan Bullock’s RBI single to give Michigan a 5-0 lead.
Vasturia (1-3, 5.06 ERA) didn’t have the same control that aided him in the first start of his career, when he supplied two scoreless frames in a midweek win over Elon on March 21. The redshirt freshman was pulled after the second inning Friday, having surrendered five runs on four hits and two walks.
Meanwhile, Maryland (16-18, 3-4 Big Ten) had Michigan starter Tommy Henry (6-0, 2.72 ERA) on the ropes in the fifth, as left fielder Marty Costes hit a two-out, two-run double to slim the Wolverines’ lead to 5-2. Instead of altering the team’s pitching plans to account for the suddenly tighter ballgame, coach Rob Vaughn opted to keep right-hander Elliot Zoellner scheduled to enter.
But Zoellner lasted just two outs into the fifth, surrendering four hits and three runs to squander the Terps’ offensive rebound. With weather an issue for the rest of the weekend, putting games in doubt, opting for a reliever with a 13.89 ERA while stronger options were available pushed the contest out of reach once more.
Even after second baseman Nick Dunn’s two-run double in the seventh, Maryland still trailed by four. Michigan padded its lead with runs in the seventh and eighth off relievers Billy Phillips and Alec Tuohy.
The Terps had insult added to injury in the eighth. After a pickoff call went Michigan’s way, pitching coach Corey Muscara yelled to first base umpire David Conlin in disagreement. Then, home plate umpire Michael Conlin tossed Muscara, resulting in a one-game suspension. With the loss of Bloom pregame and another series-opening defeat, it was a further blow for a team reeling below .500.
