Maryland baseball had been searching for a lead all weekend against Michigan, but it wasn't until the late innings that they finally found one. After suffering an extra-inning walk-off loss and a run-rule defeat in the first two games of the series, the Terps desperately needed a spark. Second baseman David Mendez provided just that, crushing a two-run blast over the right-field fence to give Maryland its first lead of the entire series. But in a cruel twist of fate, the Terps couldn't hold on.
Late-inning freebies from Maryland's pitching staff allowed Michigan to storm back in the top of the ninth inning, snatching an 8-7 victory and completing a three-game sweep. It was a heartbreaking finish for a team that had fought so hard to get back into the game.
Mendez got things started early, bouncing a double off the center-field wall in the bottom of the second inning for Maryland's first hit of the day. But he would become the first of nine Terps left stranded on base, as consecutive strikeouts ended the frame without a run crossing the plate.
Michigan struck first in the third inning when Colby Turner launched his third home run of the weekend, a two-run blast that beat Maryland center fielder Jordan Crosland to the wall. The Wolverines kept pouring it on, adding an RBI triple from Brayden Jefferis and another run on a fielder's choice that catcher Devin Russell couldn't handle in time.
Maryland finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when freshman outfielder Nate Hawton-Henley smashed a single to right field for his first RBI of the weekend. But Michigan answered right back, using a caught stealing at second base to allow a runner to score from third.
Pitcher Logan Hastings wrapped up his fourth start of the season after the fifth inning, finishing with two strikeouts and three walks across 24 batters. His outing wasn't enough to keep the Wolverines at bay, but Crosland gave the Terps hope with his 15th career home run, a two-run bomb to center field that cut Michigan's lead in half.
Mendez's go-ahead homer in the later innings seemed to turn the tide, but Maryland's bullpen couldn't close the door. The Wolverines capitalized on walks and defensive miscues in the top of the ninth, reclaiming the lead and sealing the series sweep. For the Terps, it was a painful reminder that in baseball, momentum can vanish as quickly as it arrives.