Maryland exited the seventh inning with momentum — or at least a little spark from its bats after trailing all Saturday morning at Illinois.
Jacob Orr trimmed the Terps’ deficit to one run after driving two home with a triple and then dashing home from third off a passed ball.
But as soon as the game got close, Maryland let it get away.
The Terps never led against the Illini in the series-opener and fell, 7-4. Even with the rally in the eighth, they stranded 12 and batted 4-14 with runners on base.
Maryland (14-16, 3-7 Big Ten) didn’t reach base in the eighth or ninth innings while the Illini grew their lead back to three in between the Terps’ plate appearances.
The Terps left two runners on in both the first and second while Illinois built an early lead. An Elijah Lambros RBI single in the fourth inning scored the Terps’ first run, but they stranded two in the frame. Two more were left on base in the sixth.
Even in its three-run seventh inning, Maryland left the bases loaded.
The Terps’ bats have been inconsistent as of late. They mustered only two runs against the UMBC on Tuesday after scoring 22 two days prior against Northwestern. Even with an improved showing Saturday morning, it still wasn’t enough against the Illini.
[Maryland baseball hits ‘rock bottom’ as coach Matt Swope looks for solutions]
Maryland is 4-8 in its last 12 conests and scored four or fewer runs in half of those games, after doing so only twice in its first 18 games this year.
Kyle McCoy’s shaky start
McCoy found out three hours before his expected start on Friday that the game was postponed, then discovered around midnight that he’d start at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.
For a moment, it looked as if the uncertainty of his start and altered preparation affected him.
The redshirt sophomore conceded two hits, a walk and hit a batter in the first inning — putting the Terps in an early 2-0 hole.
McCoy then retired all three batters in the second and benefitted from two double-plays in the third and fourth frames to keep Maryland within reach of the Illini. McCoy walked just one and allowed one hit in the span.
But his struggles returned in the fifth, where he was pulled for Andrew Johnson after securing one out. The Illini plated two more runs after McCoy walked a batter, tossed a wild pitch and gave up two more hits.
McCoy’s 83 pitches were his fewest in his past four starts, after throwing more than 100 in three consecutive games before Saturday’s series opener. His ERA increased from 2.79 to 3.11, which is still the best on Maryland’s staff for a starter.
[The Diamondback Sports Digest: End of the road for Maryland basketball]
Despite holding the best average, Maryland is only 3-5 in McCoy’s starts and has lost three straight. Maryland has averaged only 4.5 runs per game in McCoy’s last four outings — a dip from the nine runs per game in his first four starts.
Johnson conceded one run in two innings of relief for McCoy, striking out a season-high four batters. Graduate right-hander Jack Wren threw a scoreless seventh inning before Illinois third baseman Kyle Schupmann knocked a two-run double against him in the eighth.
Shortly after Saturday morning’s game, it was announced that Friday’s postponed matchup will be made up at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Sunday’s game time will be determined later on Saturday. It’s crucial for the Terps to play the full series, as they’re clinging to any chance to rack up wins while sitting outside the Big Ten Tournament picture.
