Wylan Moss didn’t have a collegiate plate appearance. But in the top of the tenth on Friday, the freshman pitcher stepped to the plate after UCLA sacrificed its designated hitter.

With two outs, Moss punched a single through the right side against Ryan Van Buren, extending the inning.

It was a sign of trouble for Maryland. Van Buren failed to retire his next five batters, surrendering six runs — capped by a grand slam from Mulivai Levu.

After leading 5-0 in the sixth inning, Maryland’s bullpen faltered and allowed 12 runs in four innings. The Terps fell, 12-6, in their Big Ten opener against UCLA. Andrew Johnson and Ryan Van Buren combined for nine earned runs in the final two frames — spoiling an eight-strikeout start from Kyle McCoy.

“We gotta get a little bit better effort from the back end,” coach Matt Swope said. “It just seems like that’s the way it’s been going a little bit this season.”

Johnson returned to the mound in the ninth to protect a two-run lead in his second inning of work. With two outs, shortstop Roch Cholowsky crushed a three-run homer, giving the Bruins their first lead of the game.

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In his first game back after missing four due to injury, shortstop Chris Hacopian knotted the game at six in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run.
Van Buren then conceded all six runs with two outs. The Terps (7-6, 0-1 Big Ten) didn’t reach in the bottom of the tenth.

“This was a demoralizing loss,” Swope said. “This is why you have captains. This is why you have leaders … It’s their responsibility to come out and see how they respond.”

Van Buren now has a 9.69 ERA while tossing the Terps’ second-most innings. Friday was his second loss of the season. Johnson had been a reliable relief option for Maryland, with two saves the past weekend in Winston-Salem. He now holds a 6.00 ERA with a team-high seven appearances.

McCoy threw a season-high 95 pitches in his third consecutive start with at least six innings. The right-hander opened the year with a four-inning start against UAB after returning from Tommy John surgery.

McCoy gave up his first run in the seventh and was promptly replaced by graduate arm Jack Wren. Wren conceded three hits and two more runs in his one-inning appearance, with both runs being credited to McCoy.

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The sophomore’s long outings have been crucial for a Maryland pitching staff with multiple injuries. Right-handers James Gladden and Logan Koester have missed the start of the season but are expected to return soon.

Starter Evan Smith’s injury moved freshman Logan Hastings from the bullpen into a starting role. The Terps were also without sophomore Andrew Koshy, who had a family affair on Friday night, Swope said.

Even with McCoy’s extended outing, the Terps bullpen conceded their lead.

“That’s a perfect situation right there probably on the back end and Hastings would have been in that situation,” Swope said. “Every little injury [limits who] we have for options right now.”

The Bruins (11-3, 1-0) entered Friday ranked No. 17 in RPI, while Maryland sat at No. 129. After starting 3-4, the Terps won four of their last five heading into Friday, including a win over then-No. 12 Wake Forest last weekend.

The Terps can still claim a series victory over UCLA, but it will take winning the two remaining games.

“It’s a tough loss. I thought we dominated the entire game,” Swope said. “People will judge [us on] how we respond tomorrow.”