Brayden Martin approached the plate without jitters. The freshman had no doubt in himself or what he was going to do next.
He took his first pitch for a ball and tapped his black helmet. The outfielder wound back into his swinging motion and looked at the loaded bases in front of him.
The scoreboard flashed to his left. The Spartans’ one-run advantage in the 10th inning glowed in red numbering — their first lead since the fourth frame. The Terps were a strike away from closing the game in the top of the ninth, but now faced a deficit.
Martin kicked his right leg before planting and delivering his swing. The ball dropped into deep right field as Eddie Hacopian and Jacob Orr sprinted home to secure the game-winning runs. The entire dugout bolted back onto the field and chased Martin.
The freshman tossed his helmet into the outfield as teammates showered him in Gatorade. Martin didn’t start the game. It was only his second plate appearance.
But the freshman was even-keeled in his first Big Ten game and delivered the walk-off knock to defeat Michigan State, 7-6, in the Terps’ Big Ten opener.
“[I] was really never in doubt,” Martin said. “Your guys believe in you and you feel like you can do anything.”
[Late rally pushes Maryland baseball to series finale win over Portland, 7-6]
Coach Matt Swope preaches to his team to be self-intrinsically motivated. He doesn’t need to give speeches when they find themselves in a hole. He knows they’ll stay neutral.
Maryland led by one run heading in the ninth. Then Sam Thomopson roped an RBI single up the middle to tie the game. Dillon Kark darted home in the 10th off a wild pitch by Logan Berrier to take the lead. But Maryland stayed neutral.
The Terps loaded the bases in the bottom frame before Martin stepped up to bat. The freshman delivered.
“I never have to worry about the guys,” Swope said. “I never have to worry about their energy. I never have to worry about the guys pulling for each other.”
It wasn’t the first time Maryland overcame a deficit on Friday.
Kenny Lippman watched as four doubles sailed over his head in the first inning. The Spartans held a commanding three-run lead at the end of the frame as a result.
But the right-hander recovered after the opening frame. Lippman held Michigan State scoreless in the following five innings while allowing just three more hits.
He walked no batters during his outing and struck out four batters. It was the first time this season the pitcher didn’t walk a batter.
“I really appreciate the way he battled,” Swope said.
[Maryland baseball’s bats go quiet in 5-3 loss to Portland]
Jordan Crosland misplayed two of the doubles knocked against Lippman in the first inning, which resulted in the hits. Crosland compensated for blunders with two scores later in the game.
The freshman delivered a solo home run in the second inning, his second of the season, to get the Terps on the board.
After Maryland captured the lead in the fourth, the outfielder added another to extend the advantage the following inning. Crosland dove towards home plate and into the umpire’s knees to beat a toss home and notch his second run of the day.
“He’s the best to work with,” Martin said. “He stays real focused and he’s a great guy.”
Chris Hacopian’s RBI double brought the Terps within one before Jacob Orr launched a two-run blast in the fourth that gave Maryland their first lead of the game. It was also Orr’s second of the season.
Elijah Lambros added another score in the fifth, bringing Crosland home for his diving score with a bunt.
“We still have to do a better job,” Swope said. “… The guys probably feel like they could have played a little bit better scores and more runs.”
Maryland entered the conference slate having not lost a Big Ten series since 2021. After a dramatic win in their conference opener, the Terps need just one more victory on Saturday or Sunday to continue the streak.
