Maryland baseball opens weekend series with 3-2 loss to Creighton

The weather was not the only thing that was cold in College Park on Friday night, as both Maryland and Creighton’s offenses went freezing late in the game. But the Blue Jays’ early burst was enough to outlast the Terps, 3-2, in the first game of a weekend series.

Maryland’s Hunter Parsons threw eight innings and gave up three runs on four hits while striking out 10. He kept Creighton scoreless while allowing one hit after the second inning. Parsons essentially made three bad pitches costing him the loss. Creighton’s Mitch Ragan threw seven innings and gave up two runs on five hits while also striking out 10, which would be good for a win.

Both offenses went silent late in the game as Parsons, Ragan and the bullpens produced solid pitching performances.

Creighton jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. Isaac Collins led off the game with a solo home run off of the right field foul pole. Jordan Hovey hit a solo shot over the right field fence to start the second, and David Vilches blasted another home run over the left field wall later in the inning. Creighton’s first three hits were all solo home runs.

The Terps flashed their first signs of life on offense in the third inning. Tommy Gardiner singled to right field and Bednar later singled into center field. Taylor Wright ended the inning grounding into a 6-4 fielder’s choice.

Creighton’s Jack Strunc led off the top half of the fourth inning with a double, but Parsons would then retire the next three batters in the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Maryland showed life on offense again. Caleb Walls singled into left field to extend his hit streak to three games. AJ Lee, the next batter, walked. Walls reached third on a wild pitch, but with two outs, Justin Vought struck out swinging to end the rally.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gardiner led off with a strikeout. The next batter, Chris Alleyne, walked on a full count, and Randy Bednar followed up with a two-run home run to left field, making the score 3-2.

From then on, the game became a pitchers duel between Parsons and Ragan. Creighton was held scoreless from the second inning on, and Maryland after the fifth.

Will Glock came in to relieve Parsons in the ninth and walked Strunc to start the inning. After the walk, Vought threw out Strunc trying to steal second base. Glock escaped the inning after the leadoff walk.

Creighton used three relief pitchers through the eighth and ninth innings. The Terps did not give up, as Ben Cowles came in to pinch hit for Sebastian Holte-Mancera in the ninth and Cowles walked. Vought bunted Cowles to second base and the Terps had the tying run on second with one out. Gardiner struck out and Alleyne grounded out to end the game stranding the tying run on second base. Bobby Kametas did his job, recording a five-out save as Creighton took the game 3-2.

Maryland looks to bounce back with a win in game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.