Maryland baseball slugs past Elon, 11-4, to start 2-game midweek set

In the first contest of a two-game set at Elon, Maryland baseball defeated the Phoenix 11-4 on Tuesday.

The Terps banged out 15 hits, including three home runs. Caleb Walls had four hits, two of them home runs, and batted in four. AJ Lee also homered and drove in four on three hits. The Terps also benefited by Phoenix pitchers walking 10 batters, hitting two more and throwing three wild pitches. Five Maryland pitchers combined to hold Elon to four hits, striking out 11 Phoenix.

It still wasn’t easy, as Elon took a 4-3 lead into the sixth. But Maryland’s offense came alive in the late innings, and Will Glock retired all eight batters he faced, including three strikeouts, to earn the victory.

Maryland took a three-run lead in its half of the second inning. Justin Vought and AJ Lee hit consecutive singles, and Tommy Gardiner advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch scored Vought. Caleb Walls then hit a shot off the top of the wall in center field and motored all the way around for an inside-the-park home run. Maryland led 3-0.

Elon grabbed an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. A hit batsman and a single put two Phoenix aboard. Adam Spurlin hit a potential double play ground out, but the relay throw from Gardiner went wide of Maxwell Costes and Elon had its first run. In the third, Elon cut the Terrapin lead to 3-2. A hit batsman and a double down the left-field line by Garett Stonehouse scored one run. After a walk, Daniel O’Connor relieved Mark DiLuia. O’Connor was able to get out of the inning, in no small part due to Vought gunning down a runner trying to steal third.

The Terps had multiple men on base in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, but couldn’t score. Elon then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. O’Connor walked two batters, and Joe Satterfield, Elon’s best hitter, doubled off the wall in right to bring in Elon’s third run. Will Glock relieved O’Connor and gave up a sac fly by Cam Devanney to make it 4-3.

Maryland retook the lead in the sixth inning, courtesy of some control issues by Phoenix pitchers. Walls lined a single to center and Alleyne walked. Bednar hit into a fielder’s choice, putting runners on the corners. A wild pitch scored Walls and allowed Bednar to take third. Wright hit a deep sac fly, and Bednar made it to third. The second wild pitch of the inning brought home Bednar.

Maryland extended its lead to 8-4 in the seventh. A walk to Sebastian Holte-Mancera was followed by a double from Vought. Lee doubled home pinch runner Ben Irvine and Vought. Lee went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a safety squeeze by Walls.

The Terps made it 10-4 in the eighth on a two-run blast by Lee. Later in the inning, Walls turned on a pitch for a solo home run, and Maryland led 11-4.

Glock’s win moves him to 3-0 this season, and the Terps are 11-8 overall. Maryland plays Elon again on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.