Historic fireworks lit up College Park on Sunday night as the Maryland baseball team put on an absolute offensive clinic, crushing Georgetown 21-6 in a performance that had fans on their feet from the first pitch. If you love power hitting, this was the game you wished you'd been at.
First baseman Paul Jones II had a night he'll never forget—and neither will the Hoyas' pitching staff. After going homerless since late April, Jones II exploded for not one, not two, but three home runs, including a pair of grand slams. His 11 RBIs were the engine behind Maryland's runaway victory, turning what started as a tight game into a full-blown rout.
The game didn't start smoothly for the Terps. Starter Austin Weiss lasted just one inning, and a walk followed by an errant pickoff put Georgetown on the board first with a run in the top of the first. But Maryland answered immediately. Ryan Costello singled, and after two walks loaded the bases, Jones II stepped in for his 50th at-bat of the season. He cleared the bases with his first grand slam, and the Terps never looked back.
By the third inning, the momentum was fully in Maryland's corner. Junior Brayden Martin drew his 54th walk of the season, breaking the program record for most career walks by a Terp—139 in just three years. After a bunt moved him into scoring position, true freshman Bud Coombs drove him in with an RBI double. Then, just three pitches later, Jones II struck again with a three-run homer, his 10th of the year, pushing the lead to seven.
The bats kept rolling. Coombs launched his own three-run bomb to straightaway center in the fifth, putting the Hoyas on the brink of a run-rule finish. Meanwhile, Maryland's bullpen kept Georgetown guessing, with head coach Matt Swope using a different pitcher each inning. Freshman Peyton Mamula finally became the first Terps pitcher to last more than a full inning, giving the staff some much-needed stability.
By the time the dust settled, Maryland had clobbered four home runs and scored 21 runs in a statement win that showcased the kind of firepower that makes this team dangerous down the stretch. For Jones II, Martin, and Coombs, it was a night of personal milestones—and for Terps fans, a glimpse of what this offense can do when it's clicking on all cylinders.