Maryland baseball overtakes Louisiana-Lafayette, 4-2, to start road series

Maryland baseball took down Louisiana-Lafayette on the road Friday night to start a weekend series with its sixth consecutive win.

The Terps took advantage of Ragin’ Cajuns miscues to score four runs in the middle innings. That was more than enough for Maryland ace Hunter Parsons, who yielded a single run in seven innings to earn the victory.

Left-hander Gunnar Leger kept the Terps hitters off balance through the first four innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six batters. However, he was matched by Parsons through the first three frames. In the fourth, Parsons surrendered a solo home run to Daniel Lahare to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

The Terps finally got to Leger in the top of the fifth. With one out, Chris Alleyne chopped a single through the left side. Caleb Walls laid down a bunt, and Leger’s throw to nab Alleyne at second was late. Randy Bednar then sent a shot that hopped over the center field wall for a ground-rule double, scoring Alleyne. The hit extended Bednar’s hitting streak to eight games. Taylor Wright followed with a grounder that brought home Walls, giving the Terps a 2-1 lead. After Maxwell Costes was hit by a pitch, Justin Vought hit a high bouncer in the hole, which Hayden Cantrelle threw wide of first to extend the lead to 3-1.

Maryland grabbed another run in the top of the sixth on yet another Ragin’ Cajun miscue. AJ Lee scorched a double down the line, and although he injured himself rounding second and had to come out of the game, pinch runner Tommy Gardiner came around to score on a throwing error by Cantrelle on a ground ball from Alleyne.

Parsons continued to keep Louisiana-Lafayette at bay. He was helped out when Bednar made a beautiful grab off a drive by Handsome Monica in the sixth.

Maryland’s bullpen had some trouble in the eighth. The Ragin’ Cajuns loaded the bases on a hit batsman, walk, and soft single to left. A fielder’s choice brought home a run. Another walk loaded the bases, but Nick Turnbull got a flyout to end the inning.

John Murphy took the bump in the ninth and did not yield a run while striking out three for his fourth save. Hunter Parsons moves to 2-0, and the Terps got their sixth win in a row to improve to 6-2 on the year.

The Terps next take on the Ragin’ Cajuns in a doubleheader Saturday starting at 3 p.m. ET.