Jordan Crosland began his stride to first base. He lowered his arms and prepared to rest his bat next to home plate after drawing a walk. Except it wasn’t.
The umpire punched his left fist into the air and belted his strikeout call to the fans behind the plate. Crosland paused his march, much to the dismay of the call, while Portland pitcher Nick Brink walked to the dugout.
It was Brink’s third strikeout of the third inning and his fourth straight. Crosland would’ve been Maryland’s first baserunner had he walked, as no Terp reached base until the fourth inning while Portland tallied a five-run advantage.
Brink finished the game with a career-high 11 strikeouts. His dominant Friday night showing boosted Portland over Maryland, 5-3. The Terps’ six total baserunners is the fewest this season as their three runs tied a season low.
“We got to be a little bit tougher, more competitive at the beginning of the game and give ourselves a chance,” coach Matt Swope said.
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The Terps started their slump in the opening frame with two strikeouts. Brink retired the first 11 batters and threw four one-two-three innings.
Maryland finally gained a baserunner in the fourth thanks to a Chris Hacopian single. The Terps exited the frame the following at-bat following a fielder’s choice from Sam Hojnar.
Hacopian notched Maryland’s first score of the game in the seventh. The third baseman stole home following a wild pitch. Kevin Keister sent Hojnar home with a sacrifice fly into center field later that inning.
Brayden Martin scored Maryland’s final run in the eighth after Eddie Hacopian dropped a double into left field.
The Terps tied their least amount of hits this season with five just one week after setting that mark.
“We just got to play cleaner and have tougher at-bats regardless of the other circumstances,” Swope said.
Maryland’s starting pitching struggled early Friday night for the second straight week. Kenny Lippman conceded five runs within the first three innings before throwing two scoreless frames after.
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Christian Cooney roped an RBI single into left field to start the Pilots’ scoring in the first. Zach Toglia brought in two more the following at-bat with a double into left field.
Toglia did it again in the third. The first baseman laced another double into the same side of the outfield to stamp an early five-run lead against the Terps.
“Kenny’s just got to be sharper,” Swope said. “Back-to-back starts where I know it wasn’t at his best.”
Lippman and Andrew Johnson responded to the early scores and held the Pilots to no runs or hits for the ensuing five innings.
The Terps similarly lost last Friday’s matchup against Charlotte after Lippman surrendered three runs in the first and only inning.
Maryland won the next two games of a doubleheader on Sunday to claim their fourth straight weekend set to open the season. The Terps again are in danger of ending their streak if they can’t win the last two games of the weekend.
