Ohio State finished 3-0 against Maryland (13-18, 2-10 Big Ten) in its home series over the weekend, defeating the Terrapins 10-8 on Friday, 14-12 on Saturday and 7-0 on Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus. The Buckeyes’ nine-game win streak was the longest since the 2023 season, when Ohio State won nine in a row to close out the regular season.
After a scoreless opening inning, Maryland added two runs in the second inning before Ohio State scored two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning on consecutive fielding errors from the Terrapins.
In the top of the fourth, Maryland shortstop Ty Kaunas then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score right fielder Brayden Martin, returning the lead back to the Terrapins at 3-2.
However, Ohio State would score eight consecutive runs over three innings. The run began with two runs in the fifth on an RBI-groundout to first from first baseman Dane Harvey and an RBI double from second baseman Lee Ellis to give the Buckeyes a 4-3 lead. Shortstop Henry Kaczmar then added an RBI double in the sixth to score centerfielder Miles Vandenheuvel and extend Ohio State’s advantage to two.
In the seventh, third baseman Maddix Simpson tanked a three-run home run to left-center field to give the Buckeyes an 8-5 lead.
Ohio State left fielder Alex Bemis then tripled to score Vandenheuvel, before Kaczmar doubled to score Bemis and increase the difference to seven.
Maryland attempted to rally, bringing in five runs across two doubles in the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough as Ohio State held on in the final inning for a 10-8 victory.
Simpson and Kaczmar led Ohio State with three hits, while the third baseman led all Buckeyes with three RBIs.
Right-hander Ryan Zamora (2-0) earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs, while striking out three batters in 3.2 innings. Junior reliever Andrew Edrington earned his first career save, allowing just one hit in 1.1 scoreless innings.
In game two of the series, Maryland opened the first inning as left fielder Jordan Crosland smashed a 395-foot homer to left field that went just inside the foul pole, giving the Terps an early 1-0 lead.
However, Bemis added a leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning. Following a double and a steal to third base from Kaczmar, right fielder Noah Furcht grounded out to score the second baseman and give the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead.
Maryland designated hitter Rylen Stockton scored on a sacrifice fly from third baseman Jackson Sirois in the top of the inning to tie the game, though third baseman CJ Reid crushed a two-run shot off the right-center field scoreboard to increase Ohio State’s lead to two. The Buckeyes added onto that lead on a Furcht RBI double that scored catcher Grant Mangrum.
The Terrapins grabbed the lead back in the third inning with first baseman Ryan Costello hitting a grand slam off the glove of Furcht to give Maryland its first lead of the game at 6-5.
After Stockton walked the following batter, Maryland’s Sirois hit a two-run bomb to left field to increase its lead to three.
Ohio State first baseman Dane Harvey led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to right field, registering a 109 mph exit velocity and trimming Maryland’s lead to 8-6.
After Reid walked, Mangrum smacked the seventh home run of the game to tie the game at eight apiece. Bemis then hit a two-out double, before Kaczmar tanked a 423-foot homer to right field to extend Ohio State’s lead back to two.
Following two scoreless innings, Maryland regained the lead on back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth inning. Kaunas hit a two-run home run to left field to score Crosland and on the very first pitch of Costello’s at-bat, the Terrapins first baseman cranked a solo-bomb to right field to give Maryland an 11-10 lead. An RBI triple from Maryland centerfielder Nate Hawton-Henley then extended the Terrapins’ advantage to two.
After catcher Mason Eckelman singled and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt, Ellis hit Ohio State’s sixth home run of the outing to tie the game at 12.
Ohio State held Maryland scoreless in the top of the seventh, before Dane Harvey hit a two-RBI single between first and second to increase the Buckeyes’ lead back to two.
The Buckeyes then held on through the next inning and a half to secure their 14-12 lead. Right-hander Chris Domke pitched five innings, allowing 11 hits, 10 earned runs and five home runs, while striking out three of 31 batters faced.
Junior Jake Michalak (5-0) got the win and turned in one of his best performances of the season, striking out eight batters, while giving up five hits and just one earned run in four innings.
Ohio State opened game three of the series in the bottom of the second, as a bases-loaded walk of Bemis scored Ellis to give the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead.
Kaczmar then singled between second and third base to score Mangrum and Simpson, pushing the Buckeyes’ lead to 3-0.
Harvey sent a two-RBI single up the middle to score Kaczmar and Bemis and give the Buckeyes a five-run edge.
In the seventh, Ohio State extended its advantage to 6-0 as Ellis scored on a throwing error to third base with the bases loaded.
The Buckeyes continued the pummeling in the bottom of the eighth as Furcht scored on a passed ball to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead.
Kaczmar and Harvey tied for the team lead with two RBIs apiece. Ellis led the Buckeyes with two runs scored.
Pierce Herrenbruck (3-1) earned the win for Ohio State, striking out five batters, while allowing only four hits in 5.2 innings.
The 7-0 victory was Ohio State’s second shutout of the year and first since an 11-0 win in seven innings over Butler on March 20.
Ohio State’s sweep over Maryland marked the first time the Buckeyes have earned back-to-back sweeps in Big Ten play since the 2009 season.
Ohio State (17-13, 7-5 Big Ten) will return to Bill Davis Stadium for a matchup against Bowling Green (11-17, 7-8 MAC) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
