Testudo Times - All PostsSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2024-03-19T06:30:00-04:00http://www.testudotimes.com/rss/current/2024-03-19T06:30:00-04:002024-03-19T06:30:00-04:00MM 3.19: Maryland softball collects trio of victories
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<figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics</figcaption>
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<p><em>This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.</em></p> <p id="ouOMea">Maryland softball won three of four games over the weekend in its team-hosted tournament.</p>
<p id="npydYC">The Terps (12-14) kicked off the tournament Friday with an 8-0 win over Purdue Fort-Wayne. Graduate pitcher Courtney Wyche tossed the 11th shutout of her career, allowing just one hit across five innings. At the plate, graduate outfielder Jaeda McFarland and freshman catcher Delaney Reefe each hit a home run and combined for five RBIs.</p>
<p id="qAOdGO">Maryland’s lone loss of the weekend came Saturday to Bryant, 5-3. Bryant was the only team to finish the tournament undefeated. </p>
<p id="vUAInW">Bryant’s offense clicked early, managing four runs in the first inning against sophomore pitcher Bri Godfrey. While the Terps were able to mount three runs of their own in the opening three innings — all off the bat of graduate first baseman Diamond Williams — they couldn’t put together a rally late. </p>
<p id="X4iBu2">The Terps capped off the weekend with two comfortable six-inning wins Sunday: 10-2 over Fairfield and 8-0 over Lafayette.</p>
<p id="KfYtah">In the first game of the doubleheader, Williams, McFarland and freshman infielder Hannah Runk each hit a homer as three other Terps drove in at least a run. In the circle, Wyche dealt another complete game, shaking off a first-inning home run — the only hit she would allow all game.</p>
<p id="2nb1OC">In the tournament finale against Lafayette, Maryland was once again led by Williams. She tacked on three more RBIs and sophomore Genevieve Ebaugh was almost perfect in the circle to ensure a comfortable victory. Williams finished the tournament with eight RBIs.</p>
<h3 id="D1Vr8n"><strong>In other news</strong></h3>
<p id="jfdMXq"><a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/18/24105125/maryland-mens-basketball-center-caelum-swanton-rodger-enters-transfer-portal">Maryland men’s basketball center Caelum Swanton-Rodger entered the transfer portal</a>.</p>
<p id="7QU2KD">Terps women’s basketball’s first-round matchup against Iowa State will tip off at 7:30 p.m ET Friday.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">FRIDAY NIGHT HOOPS ‼️<br><br>Maryland and Iowa State will tip off at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2 Friday in Palo Alto, CA<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuiltForIt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BuiltForIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/p8RkPFjb56">pic.twitter.com/p8RkPFjb56</a></p>— Maryland Women’s Basketball (@TerpsWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerpsWBB/status/1769737361024336345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/19/24105130/mm-3-19-maryland-softball-collects-trio-of-victoriesAndrewChodes2024-03-18T20:19:04-04:002024-03-18T20:19:04-04:00Maryland men’s basketball center Caelum Swanton-Rodger enters transfer portal
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<p><em>Swanton-Rodger played 6.6 minutes per game this past season in a backup role.</em></p> <p id="PhBJT3">Maryland men’s basketball center Caelum Swanton-Rodger entered his name into the transfer portal Monday evening, <a href="https://x.com/verbalcommits/status/1769861937746379046?s=46"><strong>Verbal Commits first reported</strong></a>.</p>
<p id="inrOXP">He became the second Terp this cycle to enter the portal, joining <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/15/24102401/noah-batchelor-transfer-portal"><strong>guard Noah Batchelor</strong></a>.</p>
<p id="JyPa0w">In two years with the Terps, the 6-foot-11 Canadian struggled to find a consistent role. As a freshman, he made 21 appearances and showed spurts of promise, including a highlight-reel dunk over then-Michigan star Hunter Dickinson.</p>
<p id="gmTE7X">This past season, Swanton-Rodger looked to take a jump in a backup role to Julian Reese but often found himself in foul trouble. He forced a whistle nearly every four minutes on the court and fouled out three times. </p>
<p id="Gz351q">That limited his playing time to under seven minutes per game in 31 contests, and despite hitting 17-of-28 field goals on the year, he averaged less than two points and rebounds each.</p>
<p id="MGdSCR">A late addition to head coach Kevin Willard’s 2022 recruiting class, he was an unranked prospect, per the <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Caelum-Swanton-Rodger-46130701/"><strong>247Sports Composite</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p>
<p id="WYI7Vp">With the impending arrival of five-star Derik Queen and 7-footer Braden Pierce completing his redshirt season, Swanton-Rodger’s decision to look for a spot elsewhere does not come as much surprise.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/18/24105125/maryland-mens-basketball-center-caelum-swanton-rodger-enters-transfer-portalAndrewChodes2024-03-18T06:30:00-04:002024-03-18T06:30:00-04:00MM 3.18: Maryland football to hire Damian Wroblewski as offensive line coach
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<figcaption>Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><em>This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.</em></p> <p id="A03csC">Maryland football is expected to hire James Madison assistant Damian Wroblewski as an offensive line coach, <a href="https://x.com/petethamel/status/1769055003325435932?s=46">ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday</a>.</p>
<p id="zLgvWD">Wroblewski will oversee the offensive line alongside Brian Braswell, who is entering his fourth season with the Terps.</p>
<p id="6j3OGm">Wroblewski has worked at seven schools over the course of his career, which has spanned over two decades. Most recently, he has coached the offensive lines at Rutgers (2012-13), Elon (2014-18) and James Madison (2018-23). This past season, he served as James Madison’s head coach during its bowl game following Curt Cignetti’s departure to Indiana.</p>
<p id="qp8GnX">Maryland was short an assistant after former wide receivers coach <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/6/24091633/maryland-football-assistant-coach-joins-virginia-tech-staff">Gunter Brewer took a position at Virginia Tech</a>.</p>
<h3 id="BTO3Zc"><strong>In other news</strong></h3>
<p id="TGmIUc"><a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104282/maryland-misses-ncaa-tournament">Maryland men’s basketball failed to earn a postseason bid for the second time in three seasons.</a> Also, <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/15/24102401/noah-batchelor-transfer-portal">guard Noah Batchelor announced that he will enter the transfer portal.</a></p>
<p id="zShZxu"><a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104152/maryland-womens-basketball-earns-10-seed-in-ncaa-tournament">Maryland women’s basketball earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 7-seed Iowa State in the first round.</a></p>
<p id="0T7SUX">Maryland baseball took two of three games against Portland. <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104214/maryland-baseball-comes-alive-in-8th-inning-takes-down-portland-7-6">Ben Messinger wrote about the Terps’ comeback win Sunday, which clinched their 15th straight series victory. </a></p>
<p id="gb7xwf">No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse fell to No. 3 Virginia, 14-10. Max Schaeffer had the <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/16/24103382/maryland-lacrosse-cant-keep-up-with-virginia">game story</a>.</p>
<p id="YBHPzJ">Jon Iacovacci wrote about <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/16/24103110/no-3-maryland-womens-lacrosse-pulls-away-late-in-12-6-win-over-ohio-state">No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse’s 12-6 win over Ohio State</a> in its Big Ten opener.</p>
<p id="DOh74j">Maryland softball defeated Lafayette Sunday afternoon, 8-0, to finish off a 3-1 weekend in the Maryland Tournament.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> <br><br>Maryland 6, Lafayette 0 <br><br> : Genevieve pitches CG with 4 K’s and only gives up 3 hits<br> : Diamond Williams goes 2-for-3 with a HR and 2 RBI’s<br> : Mazie McFarlane goes 2-for-3<br><br> : <a href="https://t.co/SIQLo7b13B">https://t.co/SIQLo7b13B</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FearTheTurtle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FearTheTurtle</a> <a href="https://t.co/fSzpxAh7E4">pic.twitter.com/fSzpxAh7E4</a></p>— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerpsSoftball/status/1769465233578365156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<p id="jswcfa">Maryland gymnastics placed second out of five teams at the Kidney Care Women’s Gymnastics Championships with a score of 196.725.</p>
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<p lang="qme" dir="ltr">➡️ <a href="https://t.co/xl9J3ljlb4">https://t.co/xl9J3ljlb4</a> <a href="https://t.co/RMnLNLLBYc">https://t.co/RMnLNLLBYc</a></p>— Maryland Gymnastics (@TerpsGymnastics) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerpsGymnastics/status/1769379780216881176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/18/24103037/maryland-football-offensive-line-coachAndrewChodes2024-03-17T20:49:54-04:002024-03-17T20:49:54-04:00Maryland women’s basketball earns No. 10 seed in NCAA Tournament, will face Iowa State in first round
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<figcaption>Maryland will play Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. | Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps drew the Cyclones in the first round of the Portland 4 region.</p> <p id="BWTcLB">Maryland women’s basketball (19-13) earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face off against No. 7-seed Iowa State (20-11) in the Round of 64 in the Portland 4 Region. </p>
<p id="tpHOEq">The Cyclones saw a fruitful 2023-24 campaign, going 12-6 in conference play and earning the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. This season, they notched signature wins over then-No. 4 Baylor, then-No. 7 Kansas State and then-No. 24 West Virginia. </p>
<p id="0SU7Ku">If Maryland can defeat Iowa State, it will play the winner of No. 2-seed Stanford and No. 15-seed Norfolk State in the second round. </p>
<p id="DCpFvm">The Terps had a rough start to the season, falling to then-No. 6 South Carolina and then-No. 8 UConn in back-to-back contests. But they soon found their rhythm, winning seven games in a row before the start of conference play. </p>
<p id="5QVnWT">However, the regular season was anything but regular for Maryland, as it notched a program-high nine Big Ten losses and failed to secure a victory over a ranked opponent.</p>
<p id="HrVRqe">In fact, it wasn’t until the Big Ten Tournament that the Terps pulled off a ranked win, doing so against then-No. 4 Ohio State in the quarterfinals. They then bowed out to Nebraska in the semifinals.</p>
<p id="sfLN8R">Maryland was led all season long by junior guard Shyanne Sellers, who paced the team in points per game (15.5), assists (171) and blocks (20). The first-team All-Big Ten honoree has been the main catalyst on offense, handling the ball consistently after the departures of Diamond Miller and Abby Meyers to the WNBA following last season.</p>
<p id="iMQ5iQ">Miller and Meyers helped lead the Terps to a No. 2 seed last year, ultimately advancing to the Elite Eight.</p>
<p id="8CWwXI">Jakia-Brown Turner and Bri McDaniel had fantastic 2023-24 seasons in their own right, as Brown-Turner was named to the All-Big Ten second team and McDaniel earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention.</p>
<p id="uwdGnM">“I’m very confident in this team and I’m very excited to see what we can do,” said forward Faith Masonius following Maryland’s loss against Nebraska. </p>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104152/maryland-womens-basketball-earns-10-seed-in-ncaa-tournamentRyanAlonardo2024-03-17T18:49:12-04:002024-03-17T18:49:12-04:00Maryland baseball comes alive in eighth inning, takes down Portland to clinch weekend series
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<figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics</figcaption>
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<p><em>The Terps scored four runs in the </em>eighth<em>, erasing a two-run deficit. </em></p> <p id="iwXGQA">The last time Maryland baseball lost a weekend series was in almost 13 months ago. Sunday, the Terps were on the brink of seeing a streak of 14 straight series victories snapped. </p>
<p id="ayek3m">After falling down by two runs in the sixth inning, the Terps responded with four runs in the eighth inning. Elijah Lambros hit a two-run double to even the score, and Eddie Hacopian’s bunt stayed fair down the third-base line to bring in Devin Russell. Maryland tacked on one more when Sam Hojnar was plunked with the bases loaded, which ended up being the difference in the game.</p>
<p id="wPRd7R">Portland cut the lead in half in the bottom of the ninth, but Maryland held on for a 7-6 victory.</p>
<p id="2OZ4wD">“Credit goes to [Portland],” head coach Matt Swope said. “I don’t think they had a walk ‘til the sixth or seventh thing, so when teams aren’t gonna walk you and make you earn it, you know, it makes it a little bit tougher. We kept grinding it out.”</p>
<p id="OZMHAZ">Maryland had essentially the perfect start, as Chris Hacopian led off the game with a solo home run. In the second inning, Jacob Orr continued his hot play when he drove in Kevin Keister with an RBI double. </p>
<p id="pkSXHy">“I was just getting good pitches and just trying to be aggressive...” Hacopian said.</p>
<p id="Vd69Cc">Joey McMannis, in his third career start, was sharp early before facing some struggles in the fourth inning. Portland tacked on one run in that frame before adding an additional two in the fifth, when redshirt senior outfielder Jake Holcroft laced a single to give Portland a 3-2 lead. </p>
<p id="jRuHNl">“I felt even though we got some hits, we didn’t necessarily punch through,” Swope said. </p>
<p id="rrS1AW">McMannis finished the day giving up two hits and five walks. He also struck out three batters. In the top of the sixth, Sam Hojnar hit a no-doubter to tie the game at three. </p>
<p id="OPc8QP">Trystan Sarcone took the mound in the sixth inning and surrendered a line-drive, two-run home run to senior infielder Ben Patascil. Sarcone then worked a scoreless seventh and earned the win thanks to Maryland’s big eighth inning.</p>
<p id="mgaCeL">Alex Walsh recorded a two-inning save for the Terps, ultimately getting junior infielder Zach Toglia to fly out for the final out of the game. </p>
<h3 id="wqkJoM"><strong>Three things to know</strong></h3>
<p id="agMUbM"><strong>1. Streak continued. </strong>Maryland entered this season having won 11 straight weekend series. Using yet another late-inning rally, the Terps were able to win their fourth series of the season and 15th in a row.</p>
<p id="572hIx"><strong>2. Orr’s big weekend continued. </strong>After posting four RBI’s Saturday,<strong> </strong>Orr followed it up Sunday with a 4-of-5 outing at the plate. His four hits set a career-high. </p>
<p id="g4zVa2">“We’ve been waiting for this [since] when I recruited [Orr],” Swope said. “You know, this is what he was. He was a hit machine. He was always on base. He was pesky. He was hard to get out. And we’ve just been waiting for him to take that next step.”</p>
<p id="PQhvzQ"><strong>3. Chris Hacopian’s great day. </strong>The younger Hacopian brother reached base five times, and like Orr, set a personal best with four hits.</p>
<p id="3v3FKD">“I thought he was having some of the toughest at bats no matter what,” Swope said. </p>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104214/maryland-baseball-comes-alive-in-8th-inning-takes-down-portland-7-6BenMessinger2024-03-17T18:37:46-04:002024-03-17T18:37:46-04:00Maryland men’s basketball misses NCAA Tournament for second time in three years
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<figcaption>Maryland men’s basketball, to little surprise, was absent from the NCAA Tournament’s 68-team field. | Photo by Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In Kevin Willard’s second season as head coach, the Terps weren’t included in the 68-team field following a disappointing campaign.</p> <p id="xC0dVU">For the second time in three seasons, the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament will not feature the Maryland Terrapins. The selection committee’s 68-team field was revealed Sunday evening, and Maryland — as was expected — did not hear its name called.</p>
<p id="Oicy72">The decision was no surprise, with Maryland’s season defined by offensive struggles and unmet expectations. It finished Kevin Willard’s second campaign as head coach with a record of 16-17, marking the program’s second time having more losses than wins in the last three seasons. Holding a regular-season conference record of 7-13, the Terps finished 12th in the Big Ten — their worst finish since joining the conference in 2014 and lowest conference winning percentage (.350) since going 2-14 in the ACC in 1992-93.</p>
<p id="7dS2jD">Six Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament this year, tied with the Mountain West for the third-most of any conference behind the Big 12 and SEC, both of which received eight bids.</p>
<p id="zrxwFN">Willard’s first season at Maryland ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an opening-round victory over West Virginia. Heading into the 2023-24 season, expectations were high in College Park, with a handful of key returners and a highly-touted freshman class coming in. The Terps received the fifth-most points among teams receiving votes in the preseason AP poll and were picked third in the Big Ten preseason media poll.</p>
<p id="Yi0ZJw">But it became clear early that Willard’s second team was lacking in ways his first wasn’t. The Terps lost early-season games to UAB and Davidson and followed that up by scoring just 40 points in an abysmal offensive performance at Villanova — a harbinger of things to come.</p>
<p id="Ju2fmx">Maryland was elite on the defensive end, with <a href="http://kenpom.com">KenPom.com</a> ranking it as the 14th-best team in the nation in terms of defensive efficiency. That unit allowed the second-fewest points per game in the Big Ten and allowed the Terps to stay in games.</p>
<p id="c8i3Mg">But those successes were left to waste by similarly remarkable offensive difficulties, contributing to a record of 1-10 in games decided by five points or fewer. KenPom ranks Maryland’s offense as the 159th-most efficient in the country, held back by the 13th-worst 3-point shooting percentage in Division I (28.9%). The Terps’ offense scored the second-fewest points per game in the Big Ten (69).</p>
<p id="QpJHpa">Maryland finished the season No. 82 in the NET rankings. The Terps went just 3-4 in Quad 3 contests and squandered nearly all of their opportunities to make up for it, going just 2-9 in Quad 1 games. Maryland’s most valuable win of the season was a road victory at Illinois on Jan. 14, but the Fighting Illini — who eventually won the Big Ten Tournament and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament — were without star forward Terrence Shannon Jr. at the time.</p>
<p id="4WP307">The Terps’ season came to a definitive end in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament when <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/14/24101026/maryland-basketball-obliterated-by-wisconsin-big-ten-tournament">they were throttled by Wisconsin to the tune of a 31-point loss</a>.</p>
<p id="ARX2wF">Despite the team’s lackluster résumé, Maryland’s roster was not without ability. Point guard <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/12/24097299/jahmir-young-all-big-ten-first-team">Jahmir Young was a first-team all-conference selection</a> after posting impressive averages of 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, and forward Julian Reese was an All-Big Ten honorable mention after averaging 13.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. Donta Scott was also an all-league honorable mention.</p>
<p id="QmdxXy">Both Young and Scott are out of eligibility, and with the transfer portal officially opening on Monday — although Maryland has <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/15/24102401/noah-batchelor-transfer-portal">already had one player declare their intention to enter</a> — the Terps project to undergo a makeover this offseason. They’ll be aided by the addition of five-star recruit Derik Queen, but will need to look elsewhere to remedy their shooting struggles.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/17/24104282/maryland-misses-ncaa-tournamentEmmett Siegel2024-03-16T22:45:22-04:002024-03-16T22:45:22-04:00After letting its lead slip away, Maryland baseball avoids disaster with 9-8 win over Portland
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<figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps let the Pilots back into the game but ultimately came out on top.</p> <p id="6pOVZl">Maryland baseball let a substantial lead slip away on Saturday, but was able to reclaim it late to defeat Portland, 9-8.</p>
<p id="QBabpg">After Portland plated five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Maryland’s Jacob Orr saved the day with a clutch game-winning RBI double in the top of the ninth.</p>
<p id="zUs57J">After a slow start in Friday night’s game, Maryland made its mark early Saturday. The Terps got on the board often due to Pilots errors, with Maryland’s first seven runs being unearned.</p>
<p id="OXpZkX">The Terps put up four runs in the top of the first inning. An error by Jack Thompson at third base scored one, and Orr then hit a two-run double. Kevin Keister also took home on a passed ball.</p>
<p id="9YO031">Portland got on the board in the bottom of the third when Brady Bean hit a sacrifice fly, but Maryland would tack on two more runs in the fourth. Eddie Hacopian hit a fly ball to left field that was misplayed by Christian Cooney, allowing Chris Hacopian to score. Then, Sam Hojnar’s bunt single brought another run home.</p>
<p id="MeAjv6">In the top of the seventh, Portland made it 7-3, plating two runs on groundouts.</p>
<p id="YPlaES">Another Terps run came across soon after, but all of Maryland’s momentum was undone in the eighth inning.</p>
<p id="L0H8n9">Gage Bruce hit an RBI single to drive in Curtis Herbert to open the scoring in the bottom half of the frame. Portland scored again when Keister tried to turn a double play on a chopper, but was unable to get an out. Taking advantage of his team’s newfound life, Tristan Gomes hit a two-run double to make it a one-run game, and the score was tied after Vinny Salvione hit a single to bring in Gomes.</p>
<p id="icQcaN">Even so, Maryland reclaimed the lead in the ninth despite being thrown out twice at home.</p>
<p id="xg5kS4">Logan Koester started on the mound for Maryland and was dominant, giving up just one run in his first six innings of work. After six innings, Koester had only thrown 71 pitches, so he was sent back out for the seventh, but he ran into some trouble there, ultimately charged with three earned runs.</p>
<p id="8UiQ5Q">Nate Haberthier allowed the Pilots to tie the game, but after the Terps retook an advantage, Logan Berrier came in to close the game in the ninth and got the job done, earning the save.</p>
<h3 id="RfiQhA"><strong>Three things to know</strong></h3>
<p id="Hp2ufH"><strong>1. Swope was ejected. </strong>For the first time as Maryland’s head coach, Matt Swope was ejected from Saturday’s game after arguing a check-swing by Hojnar in the top of the ninth. With pitching coach Jimmy Jackson serving as third base coach, Maryland was thrown out at home twice.</p>
<p id="sHhNKt"><strong>2. Wild last two innings. </strong>Maryland nearly let a sure win slip away before Orr came through in the ninth.</p>
<p id="8xMbek"><strong>3. Orr’s big day. </strong>After being in and out of the lineup of late, Orr made a statement Saturday with three hits, four RBIs and a walk.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/16/24103567/maryland-baseball-avoids-disaster-with-win-over-portlandBenMessinger2024-03-16T17:35:00-04:002024-03-16T17:35:00-04:00No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse can’t keep up with No. 3 Virginia in 14-10 loss
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GBS6kcAjjz0z728B80Ln0-7sMNQ=/0x0:4096x2731/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212259/GI0cEmAXcAAcHfC.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps’ mistakes ultimately cost them a shot at a statement nonconference win.</p> <p id="5aWM66">For the second time this year, No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse had an opportunity for a signature nonconference win. Once again, the Terps came up short.</p>
<p id="K2YLFq">Third-ranked Virginia took advantage of Maryland’s 16 turnovers and inconsistent offense to win, 14-10, Saturday in front of a crowd of nearly 8,000 at SECU Stadium in College Park. The result ended the Cavaliers’ three-game losing streak to the Terps (5-2), which dated back to 2022.</p>
<p id="3ltxyo">Maryland received good news when all-time program faceoff win leader Luke Wierman opened the game at the faceoff “X,” and it didn’t take long for Eric Spanos to compound that joy with two early goals, both times finding a matchup with a short-stick midfielder and making the Cavaliers (6-1) pay.</p>
<p id="Ka4uD2">Those were Maryland’s last positive moments for a while, though, as Virginia proceeded to unleash five unanswered goals, three coming from midfielder Griffin Schutz. Schutz’s third goal was the game’s most impressive, as he scored on a backhanded shot to bring Virginia’s lead to 6-2.</p>
<p id="nSgWp9">“He did what we have been encouraging him and just pleading with him to do,” Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany said of Schutz. “... Essentially telling Schutz, ‘I know you got a long pole, but someone’s gotta win a matchup here.’”</p>
<p id="uihdIW">But lacrosse is a sport prone to momentum swings, and Maryland was able to answer Virginia’s run with three straight goals. The Terps’ midfielders continued to hunt short sticks, with Daniel Kelly and Ryan Siracusa both rolling off their defenders and finishing.</p>
<p id="Wa1XmM">Maryland brought itself within one and looked like it could tie the score before the half, but a crucial clearance mistake from goalie Logan McNaney offered Virginia freshman McCabe Millon an easy score. The blunder sent Virginia into the break with a two-goal advantage, 7-5.</p>
<p id="FBDcg5">Schutz wasn’t done after his first-half hat trick, striking to open the third quarter. Maryland’s Braden Erksa scored his first goal of the game shortly after on an extra-man opportunity, but Virginia had a swift answer following a Maryland penalty.</p>
<p id="lcYn7G">With Maryland committing too many unforced errors, Virginia star Connor Shellenberger got free for his second goal of the game to bring his team’s lead to four. Unfortunately for Maryland, the nadir of its struggles didn’t come until early in the fourth quarter, when the Cavaliers went up five after a rebound goal.</p>
<p id="lLvuFi">“I think one of their game plans was to make us uncomfortable,” Spanos said, “and at times we needed to settle in and not let them force us out of our game plan. Those turnovers could be a product of that.”</p>
<p id="RoM2FD">The Terps briefly fought back, with Wierman stringing together faceoff wins and his teammates cutting their deficit to two. But that was as close as Maryland would get, as Spanos committed a costly turnover — his fourth of the game — and Millon ended the run with a goal going down the alley.</p>
<h3 id="2J6MQV"><strong>Three things to know</strong></h3>
<p id="JykmKp"><strong>1. Turnovers plagued the Terps. </strong>In a game where making use of every offensive possession was crucial, Maryland threw too many away. It had 16 giveaways to Virginia’s 10.</p>
<p id="XoX9IY"><strong>2. Virginia was more physical. </strong>Saturday’s game felt like a rivalry matchup between two of the best teams in college lacrosse. It got chippy early, and every ground ball was a fight. Virginia got the better of Maryland on ground balls, scooping 29 — six more than the Terps.</p>
<p id="nmKmPg"><strong>3. Maryland’s offense couldn’t keep up.</strong> In Maryland’s two losses this year, its offense has scored nine and 10 goals. Maryland limited Virginia to 14 scores — matching the Cavaliers’ lowest output of the year — but it wasn’t enough. The Terps’ season-long trend of lengthy scoring droughts allowed Virginia to generate separation.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2024/3/16/24103382/maryland-lacrosse-cant-keep-up-with-virginiaMax_Schaeffer