A tough call, a hard fall
Controversial call in eighth inning is final blow for Terps in season-ending loss
What more could Maryland baseball have given?
The Terps had already staved off elimination not once but twice on Sunday of the NCAA Tournament regional in College Park, erasing a three-run deficit against Wake Forest before beating UConn in a matchup that required them to use seven pitchers and junior third baseman Nick Lorusso to hit a walk-off single in extra innings.
And with less than 24 hours after unimaginably saving their record-breaking season, the Terps returned to Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium on Monday with their bodies taxed from playing four games in three days.
But Terps fifth-year coach Rob Vaughn understands postseason baseball is a daunting task that requires players to exceed their limitations.
With a spot in the super regionals hanging in the balance against the Huskies, Vaughn asked his team to put together one last fight.
Trailing 9-1 after four innings, Maryland did the unthinkable yet again. The Terps outscored the Huskies 7-1, cutting the deficit to 10-8 in the eighth. However, a controversial call in that inning seemed to be the breaking point and final act for the Terps, who ultimately ran out of pitchers in an 11-8 loss to the Huskies.
Maryland ends its record-breaking season with a 48-14 record.
The Terps’ regional finale was an emotional thrill ride that could be described perfectly in the eighth inning.
After Maryland sophomore second baseman Kevin Keister doubled home junior left fielder Bobby Zmarlak, making it a two-run deficit, fifth-year outfielder Chris “Bubba” Alleyne was in position to either tie the game or take the lead with one out. Alleyne, the Big Ten Conference’s Player of the Year, hit a grounder down the first base line, sending Keister home. As Alleyne was speeding toward first base, he ran into UConn first baseman Ben Huber after touching the bag safely.
After the first base umpire originally called him safe, home plate umpire Jeff Head overruled him and called Alleyne out. They reviewed the play and upheld the call — out for running outside the baseline — and Keister was sent back to third base. When Lorusso grounded out to end the frame, boos from the Terps faithful tuned out the joyous screams from UConn players as they escaped a jam.
Monday was not an ideal scenario for Maryland. After using essentially their entire bullpen to get to the winner-take-all game, it was evident in the open innings that the Terps’ pitchers had little left in the gas tank. Maryland used three pitchers in the first three innings, allowing seven runs on three hits and two hit batters.
Terps freshman pitcher Andrew Johnson, who pitched the 11th inning on Sunday, managed to get the first two outs in the first before walking three straight hitters to load the bases. When Robinson walked UConn designated hitter Korey Morton and then hit center fielder T.C. Simmons with a pitch, Maryland’s leadoff homer by catcher Luke Shliger was already not enough as the Terps trailed, 2-1. Then came the big blow, as senior Sean Heine relieved Robinson and immediately gave up a grand slam to Huskies catcher Matt Donlan, whose blast extended their lead to 6-1.
Maryland would go on to use nine pitchers, including Lorusso, in the loss.
The damage continued in the fourth when Huskies second baseman David Smith homered and shortstop Bryan
want more time,” Russell Wrenn said. “The last few days were tough, that’s why it’s so nice that these folks were willing to do this for me.”
The day felt like old times, Russell Wrenn said, getting to celebrate the players that made it there and the season concluding just like his dad always had experienced.
Matt Archibald of John Carroll took the first walk in from the center field bullpen. He’d start for the North team, and he made a point to take it all in — getting his own chance to pitch on a Major League Baseball field.
“I took the walk and looked around and admired it all,” Archibald said. “I was blown away.”
He was nervous for his first pitch in warmups. But once it left his hand, it started to feel like any other game. This one with lower stakes, but one in a place where he’d spent years thinking about playing.
“I’ve always wanted to do this ever since I was a freshman,” Archibald said. “I’ve had teammates and upperclassmen before me. They’ve played and always talked very highly of it.”
Archibald threw two scoreless innings and struck out four on his way to being named his team’s most outstanding pitcher.
Good Counsel’s Liam Houghton was named the North’s most valuable player. His double in the third inning drove in the first two runs of the game and ultimately was the game-winning hit.
Reservoir Ben Davis had a double in the fourth inning, and in the seventh inning scored the South team’s only run of the game on his way to being named his team’s most valuable player. Chesapeake’s Nick Karls, who pitched two scoreless innings, was the South’s most outstanding pitcher, and Mt. Hebron’s Sam Cohen added two scoreless innings for the South team as well.
And Russell Wrenn knows his father was watching it all, assuredly looking down proudly.
“If he’s anywhere, his heaven is going to involve a whole lot of ball fields,” Russell Wrenn said.