Maryland baseball: Unearned run dooms Terps as they fall 2-1 to Iowa

Today's pitching match-up saw Iowa's RHP Calvin Matthews (3-0) go up against Maryland's Kevin Mooney (0-0).

Injury update: Nick Cieri has a broken bone in his hand and will be out six weeks.

Both teams don't take advantage of big opportunities

Brandon Lowe walked to start the Terrapin first. On a hit and run, Kevin Smith lined a single to center, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Kevin Martir and Jose Cuas both popped out, leaving the runners where they stood. When Anthony Papio grounded to short, the Terps had missed out on a great early opportunity.

In the top of the next inning, Joel Booker worked a leadoff walk and went to third on a wild pick-off throw. Eric Schenk walked. Now it was the Hawkeyes that had runners on the corners with no outs. Nick Roscetti struck out, but Schenk stole second. Jimmy Frankos walked to load the bases. Nick Day got the fourth walk of the inning, and Iowa led 1-0. That brought in Robert Galligan to face the left-handed batter Eric Toole. On a grounder to Lowe, Day interfered with him, and therefore was called out. Jake Mangler struck out to end the inning, leaving the score 1-0.

Jamal Wade was HBP. Tim Lewis followed that by lacing an opposite field single. Justin Morris bunted both runners over to scoring position. LaMonte Wade struck out looking, and Lowe was intentionally walked. Smith hit a hard grounder, but it was right the third baseman for the final out.

Next inning, Tyler Peyton drew a leadoff walk. Dan Potempa hit a lazy single past Smith. Booker's bunt went back to Galligan, who was able to get the out at third. Sean Moore, the second Hawkeye pinch hitter of the inning, struck out. When Roscetti flied out, Iowa came up empty in the inning.

Lowe's home run pulls Terps even

Both pitchers settled in and threw goose eggs for a couple of innings. Until leading off the Terrapin fifth inning, Lowe hit his ninth home run of the year to tie the game.

Ryan Erikson relieved Matthews in the sixth. He promptly hit J. Wade with a fastball. Lewis sacrificed Wade to second. Morrris' ground out sent Wade to third. But L. Wade grounded out to second to end the inning.

Iowa pulls ahead via an unearned run

In the top of the seventh, Day hit a grounder to short. Smith's throw short-hopped Morris, allowing Day to motor to second base. Toole dragged a bunt for an infield single. Mangler hit into a double play, but Day scored to give Iowa the lead.

Galligan arguably had his best game as a Terrapin: his line: 5.2 ip, 1 r, 0 er, 3h, 1bb, 5 so.

With two outs in the Terrapin seventh, Martir singled to left. That brought in Iowa's dominant reliever, RHP Luke Vandermaten. He began his day by hitting Cuas. However, Papio grounded out to end the inning.

Zach Morris pitched a scoreless eighth. But Vandermaten was tough, retiring the Terrapin hitters in order, two on strike outs. After Morris threw his second scoreless inning, it went to the bottom of the ninth with the Terps trailing by one run.

L. Wade grounded out to third for the first out. Lowe singled up the middle to put the tying run on base. But Smith and Martir both struck out to end the game. Iowa had taken the series from the Terps.

Galligan took the unlucky loss to go 0-2. The Terps fell to 24-10 overall, 8-4 in the B1G.