Eddie Hacopian placed his swing exactly where Maryland needed it in the ninth inning. The junior stretched his arms out and dropped an RBI single into right field, giving the Terps their first lead since the opening frame.
Sam Hojnar then added two more. The second baseman launched a two-run home run into right field the following at-bat, providing Maryland a three-run cushion heading into the final frame.
Maryland (4-1) used the ninth-inning swings by Hacopian and Hojnar to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7-5, on the road on Friday night. The Terps recorded only two hits between the second and sixth innings, but that silence was upstaged by a pair of three-run innings in the seventh and ninth.
“We just grinded it out, had good energy,” coach Matt Swope said.
Jacob Orr began Maryland’s comeback effort with an RBI single in the seventh. The Terps continued the momentum that inning and loaded the bases with two outs for Hojnar.
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Hojnar drilled a two-RBI knock through the right side to even the game at four apiece, his first of two clutch hits on Friday night. The home run in the ninth was his first in a Terps uniform.
“That’s why we brought him here, to have that physical presence, that senior presence,” Swope said. “[It was] a huge hit to tie it up there and then just an absolute bomb to go ahead late in the game.”
Chris Hacopian brought in Maryland’s first score with an RBI single up the middle in the game’s opening frame. The hit brought in Eddie Hacopian, who started the night with a lead-off double.
The beginning of Kenny Lippman’s start against Corpus Christi wasn’t reminiscent of his strong outing last week. After he allowed just one hit against Georgia Southern, the Islanders made contact early. Their success at the plate continued throughout the night as they mounted a three-run lead by the end of the third inning.
Maryland’s defense didn’t do Lippman any favors, though. Kevin Keister overthrew a throw to first base in the bottom of the first inning, allowing Drake Kerr to reach base and score later that inning. Two of Lippman’s four runs allowed were unearned.
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Lippman surrendered six hits and three walks in five innings of work as Maryland fell into an early deficit.
Kerr got on again in the third inning following Keister’s second error of the game. The shortstop bobbled a ground ball in his direction and failed to unleash a throw. Kerr scored his second run of the game to put Corpus Christi ahead, 4-1.
Maryland’s defense and Nate Haberthier corrected the mistakes and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning with no outs. The Terps closed the inning with a double play.
Haberthier, the winning pitcher, conceded four hits in three scoreless innings.
A loss to Corpus Christi could’ve damaged the Terps’ RPI ranking by the end of the season. The Islanders ranked 191st in RPI last season and a had 24-30 record. They are not scheduled to play a currently ranked team this season.
Maryland avoided that scenario with the comeback effort and began the weekend with a victory. The Terps close the Kleberg College Classic with games against Pitt and Washington.
