After grounding a ball to shortstop with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Maryland baseball center fielder Zach Jancarski slid head-first into first base trying to avoid an inning-ending double play.
But with the Terps behind, 6-5, and on the brink of Big Ten tournament elimination, his act of desperation fell short. Left fielder Dan Maynard was forced out at second base, and Jancarski was called out at first, halting the rally.
The missed opportunity dealt a crucial blow to Maryland’s conference tournament hopes. The Terps couldn’t muster a run in the ninth and fell, 6-5, to Northwestern in Bloomington, Indiana.
Now, the Terps must await their NCAA tournament fate Monday afternoon while the Wildcats compete for the conference tournament title against Iowa.
“Our guys have done a pretty good job of coming back all year,” coach John Szefc said. “It stings a little bit how it ended. We didn’t get over the hump in that game. I respect the way our guys battled back. Coming back from a six-run deficit is tough to do in the postseason.”
Unlike it did against Northwestern earlier this year in College Park, when Szefc’s team lost two of three, Maryland’s offense kept the game close. However, the Terps could not tie the score at a point in which they seemingly carried the momentum.
With the Terps trailing by six runs in the seventh, first baseman Brandon Gum’s two-out grand slam cut the deficit to 6-4.
Maryland added another on Maynard’s bases-loaded walk in the eighth.
But with the bases still full, Szefc opted to pinch hit Nick Cieri for catcher Justin Morris, who was 0-for-3 at the time. Szefc said Cieri’s ability to “handle left-handed pitching a little bit better” factored into the decision.
Nonetheless, Cieri popped out on the first pitch he saw, and Jancarski hit into the inning-ending double play that ended the threat.
While Maryland’s rally fell short, it was remarkable the Terps were positioned to tie the game given their struggles in the first few innings.
“We’re just tough in the box, it doesn’t matter who’s throwing,” Gum said. “We’re never really out of it until the last out is recorded, and that’s more of a mindset than ability, because pretty much anyone can hit at this level. It’s just whether you’re mentally strong enough to do it.”
Wildcats catcher Jack Claeys gave Northwestern an early lead on a three-run home run in the first inning against right-hander Hunter Parsons, whose struggles continued in perhaps his biggest outing of the season.
Parsons was pulled after facing just eight batters, marking the fourth time he’s failed to pitch past the second inning this season. He allowed six hits and five runs over 1.1 frames.
Right-hander Ryan Selmer relieved Parsons and limited the Wildcats offense, keeping Maryland in the game. After immediately giving up a pair of hits, Selmer noticed Northwestern’s hitters were expecting fastballs. As a result, he used his slider and sinker more often.
The adjustment worked, as Selmer allowed just one run over 5.2 innings.
But the Terps couldn’t overcome Northwestern starter Cooper Wetherbee’s early dominance.
Wetherbee followed his six-inning, five-run outing against the Terps in College Park on May 12 with one of his best this season. He frustrated Maryland’s explosive offense, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts.
Even so, Maryland placed runners in scoring position with less than two outs in each of the first three innings and didn’t score. Their inability to capitalize in those moments, as well as during their eighth-inning charge, cost them a place in the Big Ten tournament championship game.
“They came back and battled,” Selmer said. “It’s tough to see us lose by one run like that.”
