Last season, Northwestern’s only conference series victory came when it took the first two games against Maryland.
The Wildcats (12-13, 5-4 Big Ten) handed the Terrapins (14-14, 3-6 Big Ten) the exact same fate over the weekend after handling Illinois at home the weekend prior. It marked the first time since 2022 that NU has won consecutive series.
Junior infielder Trent Liolios wasted no time getting back to his usual ways in game one, as he homered to lead off the second inning to secure an early lead for the ’Cats. Four batters later, graduate student utility player Tyler Ganus knocked an RBI single to put NU up two.
The lead didn’t last long as Maryland’s Hollis Porter blasted a three-run home run to right-center field in the following inning. NU starting graduate student right-hander Sam Hliboki pitched three scoreless innings after the home run to keep the ’Cats in the game.
A fielding error by the Terrapins in the seventh sent sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman home to tie the game, but shortly thereafter, Maryland’s Aden Hill homered in the bottom of the frame to restore a one-run lead. A balk in the eighth scored another run for Maryland, handing it a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth inning.
With this deficit, NU turned to none other than the team’s home run leader Liolios. The junior smashed a two-run homer to left center field to tie the game at five and push it to extra innings.
One more inning was all the ’Cats needed. In the top of the tenth, Ganus’ solo-shot to center field gave NU a one-run lead. Graduate student left-hander Blake MacMillan forced two groundouts and struck out the last batter to secure the 6-5 game one victory.
Eager to put game two to bed, the ’Cats put up a three spot in the first inning by way of a Freeman double, an infield fly and a fly out. Maryland scored two runs in the bottom of the frame, but it wasn’t a close game for long.
After three Wildcats reached base to start the second inning, Freeman blasted a grand slam to right field, giving NU a 7-2 lead.
The sophomore didn’t stop there, knocking a three-RBI double down the right field line in the next inning. During the following at-bat, sophomore infielder Ryan Kucherak homered to right-center field, making it a 12-2 ballgame.
The Terrapins cut the deficit to five by the end of the fourth inning, but a pair of three-RBI home runs in the sixth inning from senior outfielder Preston Knott and Liolios proved too much for Maryland to overcome. The ’Cats clinched the series in a seven inning 18-8 game two performance.
Looking to avoid the series sweep, the Terrapin offense showed out on Sunday. Propelled by two home runs from former Wildcat Alex Calarco and a two-RBI single from Jacob Orr, Maryland jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings.
Junior outfielder Jack Lausch hit his first career home run in the third inning, but the Terrapins swung right back with a seven spot in the bottom of the frame. The hosts added three more runs in the fourth to take a 17-1 lead.
The NU offense came alive in the fifth by way of three home runs and a double to score eight runs, but the defense was unable to stave off a Maryland offense that tacked on five more runs in the sixth inning.
Lausch’s second home run of the day in the top of the seventh was not enough to save the ’Cats from a seventh inning run rule as they dropped game three 22-11.
NU takes on UIC Tuesday before returning to Big Ten action to face Iowa this weekend.
Email: annawatson2027@u.northwestern.edu
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