Two grand slams through two innings was one of the main catalysts for Indiana baseball’s 17-4 loss to Maryland on Saturday that featured a rain delay in the middle of the third inning.
The game started off looking like it could be a back-and-forth battle, just like the first game of the series Friday. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson hit a monster home run into center field as Indiana struck first.
However, the first inning would prove to be the last productive inning for the Hoosiers for a while. Maryland senior outfielder Elijah Lambros hit a grand slam in the top of the second inning to put the Terrapins up 5-1.
Junior outfielder Aden Hill tacked on another run via a bases loaded walk in the top of the third inning to extend Maryland’s lead to 7-1. And after senior infielder Jacob Orr launched another grand slam to increase the Terrapins’ lead to 11-1, Indiana’s pitching staff could not catch a break as senior catcher Alex Calarco kept it going with a three-run home run as Maryland went up 14-1 in the third inning.
A rain delay put a pause on the action for about half an hour, but after play resumed, junior outfielder Devin Taylor rewrote history as he hit his 48th home run of his Indiana career. He now holds the record for most home runs in program history.
Despite that, Maryland continued to pile on the runs, however, as Lambros hit another home run to extend the Terrapins’ lead to 16-2. Indiana tacked on two more runs but Maryland added another before the run-rule came into effect and ended the game after the conclusion of the seventh inning.
Redshirt senior righty starter Cole Gilley struggled for the Hoosiers, giving up seven hits and five earned runs. Redshirt junior left-hander Grant Holderfield only gave up two hits, but those turned into six Maryland runs.
Freshman righty Henry Brummel, sophomore righty Seth Benes and freshman left-hander Brayton Thomas combined to give up five more earned runs. No matter who was on the mound for Indiana on Saturday, the pitching struggled.
The Hoosiers will be back in action at 1 p.m. Sunday, when they look to pick up a series win in the rubber match against Maryland at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington. The game will stream on Big Ten+.
