Maryland baseball’s ninth-inning rally not enough in 10-9 extra-inning loss to Georgetown

Maryland baseball entered the bottom of the ninth down 9-5, but pulled off a thunderous comeback. A two-RBI single by junior catcher Luke Shliger and an error by Georgetown left fielder Ubaldo Lopez on a line drive from senior third baseman Nick Lorusso tied the game up and sent it to extras.

Despite the Terps’ ninth-inning heroics, the Hoyas were able to bring across a run in the top of the 10th inning, and Maryland couldn’t generate anything in the bottom half of the inning, losing a 10-9 heartbreaker to Georgetown.

The Terps fell to 19-13 on the season and 5-3 in midweek games.

Maryland junior right-hander Nate Haberthier started off the game with two quick outs, but then began to unravel. He allowed the next two runners to reach base, setting up junior first baseman Christian Ficca for a two-RBI double off the wall to give the Hoyas an early lead. The very next at-bat, Georgetown notched one more run with an RBI single by graduate shortstop Austin Kretzschmar.

Maryland’s offense had an immediate response, as junior third baseman Nick Lorusso smoked a ball to the wall for a double. Then, sophomore designated hitter Ian Petrutz made an immediate impact in his first game back from injury, as he belted a two-run opposite-field home run to cut the Georgetown lead to one.

Both teams went dormant in the second, third and fourth innings, but in the fifth, Georgetown’s offense exploded. The Hoyas belted two home runs to give them a 6-2 lead. Graduate left fielder Ubaldo Lopez crushed a two-run shot over the batter’s eye and junior second baseman Michael Eze cracked a solo homer.

In the bottom half of the frame, a walk by Petrutz and a single by Zmarzlak provided a huge opportunity for sophomore first baseman Eddie Hacopian. Hacopian seized the opportunity, as he smacked a two-run double over the left fielder’s head, cutting Maryland deficit to two.

In the sixth, Maryland was able to get some early base runners with a single by sophomore center fielder Elijah Lambros and a double by junior second baseman Kevin Keister. With runners on second and third, Lorusso was able to score one run on a groundout to put Maryland down one.

Maryland couldn’t find an answers for the top of Georgetown’s lineup, as the Hoyas crushed back-to-back solo home runs. Maryland pitching couldn’t find an answer for Lopez — he crushed his second no-doubter of the game and right fielder Jake Hyde poked his first of the game.

In the top of the ninth the Hoyas notched one more insurance run as they entered the bottom of the ninth with 9-5 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Terps pulled off an unimaginable comeback. Shliger stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded and was able to rip a ground ball into right field for a two-RBI single, making the score 9-7. The next at-bat, Lorusso smoked a line drive to left, which ricocheted off the left fielder’s glove to the two runs needed to equalize.

In the top of the tenth, sophomore right-hander Ryan Van Buren entered the game for the Terps. He started the inning by allowing a leadoff single before that runner advanced to second base. Marco Castillo came in to pinch hit for the Hoyas, and he smacked a ball off the center field wall, scoring the game-winning run for Georgetown.

Three things to know

1. A poor start from Haberthier. Haberthier was only able to go 2 ²⁄₃ innings in his fifth start of the season. It looked like he had his stuff early, getting two immediate outs to start the game. Everything turned south after that, as he allowed three runs in the top of the first inning. He had a solid second frame, but got himself into another two out jam in the third, forcing Vaughn to pull him from the game.

2. Maryland’s offense struggled to score with runners in scoring position. The Terps’ offense hit a lull today when they had runners in scoring position. Maryland hitters went an uncharacteristic 3-18 for a .167 average when the offense had an opportunity to score.

3. An update on Maryland’s NCAA Tournament chances. The Terps entered the 2023 season as a legitimate contender to reach the College World Series, but they could be looking at a scenario in which they don’t make a regional entirely. Midweeks are big games to help boost a team’s record and confidence, but Maryland has been unable to do so the past two weeks. It is 5-3 in midweek games this season.