Baseball comes up short against Maryland again

Zachary Holden
Staff Writer

In the second game of what will be a three-game series spread throughout the season, the VCU baseball team lost another game to the Maryland Terrapins by one run.

The Rams jumped out to an early three-run lead in the second inning, a scenario they’ve been familiar with this season.

Vimael Machin and Taylor Buran started off the second inning with a pair of singles to give VCU a pair of base runners. A sacrifice bunt from Jordan Weymouth advanced the runners to second and third respectively.

Machin was driven in following a Rob Malan ground out that was thrown home, just missing Machin, and placing Malan on first. An RBI bunt from Nick Octavi gave the Rams another man on base and yet another run. Finally, a Bill Cullen single to first base brought home Malan giving VCU a comfortable three-run lead.

As they’ve been a victim to numerous times this season, the “comfortable lead” would eventually turn into the Rams trailing by the eighth inning.

Maryland scored a run in the fourth inning after a Kevin Martir sacrifice fly allowed Charlie Wright to tag up and reach home.

Inability to capitalize on opportunities has been something the Rams have struggled with during the recent stretch of losses. In the bottom of the fourth inning, VCU left two men on base. Then in the sixth, VCU had the bases loaded twice and could not drive in a run to extend their lead.

The Terrapins exploited VCU’s inability score after the second inning by taking the lead in the eighth.

Blake Schmit drove in the two tying runs with a double to left field after a walk and a single gave Maryland two base runners. An error brought in Schmit for what would turn out to be the game-winning unearned run.

It came down to the bottom of the ninth inning where VCU needed one-run to take it into a second straight extra innings affair with Maryland. Cullen struck out swinging to start off the inning and was followed by a James Bunn groundout to the shortstop.

Two quick outs for the Rams was the last thing they needed.

Joey Cujas stepped up for what could’ve been the final at-bat for VCU. He knocked a double into right field to keep the Rams’ hopes alive. Following Cujas, who was replaced by pinch runner Tom Crimi, Trevor Marino and Machin were walked loading the bases with two outs.

Up stepped Buran who was 1-for-3 on the night. Buran got a hit, but it went straight to the pitcher, who tossed the ball home and sealed the win for the Terrapins.

“We just have to continue to work,” head coach Shawn Stiffler said. “The effort is outstanding, but obviously nothing is going our way right now.”

VCU left 12 men on base – three innings ended with the bases loaded – as opposed to Maryland’s three.

“Tonight we left too many men on base, and we had opportunities to blow the game open in the early innings and we didn’t capitalize,” Stiffler said.

“I told the team, it’s one of those games that’s a loss, but it will not factor in how we play this weekend…and has nothing to do with kind of team we are,” he added.

The Rams travel to Dayton, Ohio for a weekend series that could have serious implications on their Atlantic 10 tournament hopes.