Hojnar’s 10th Inning Home Run Lifts Terps To 9-8 Win - University of Maryland Athletics (2024)

• Box Score

Game Recap: Baseball | 4/14/2024 2:37:00 PM

EVANSTON, IL –Maryland baseball defeated Northwestern in its series finale, 9-8, at Rocky Miller Park on Sunday. Maryland (23-14, 5-7 B1G) picked up its 14th comeback win and 11th win in a last at-bat this season.

In a game that featured five lead changes, the Cardiac Terps came out on top with a clutch solo home run by Sam Hojnar in the top of the 10th inning. Freshman Evan Smith retired the final three batters in the bottom of the inning and earned the first win of his career. Elijah Lambros robbed the game-tying home run for the final out.

Hojnar went 3-for-6 with two runs. The home run was his eighth of the season, tying Chris Hacopian for the team lead. Smith pitched 2.1 innings and struck out two batters. He also allowed just one hit and no runs.

T10| Sam Hojnar leaves the yard in the tenth

Terps 9
NU 8 pic.twitter.com/fmktzrMcXi

— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 14, 2024

Northwestern (12-20, 2-7 B1G) rallied down 8-4 and tied the game with a home run by Griffin Mills in the eighth inning. The Wildcats had an opportunity to end the game in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded but Smith worked out of a bases-loaded jam.

Eddie Hacopian, in his 100th career start in a Maryland uniform, hit two-run home runs for the first time in his career. He went 8-for-14 with a .571 batting average in the series. The junior first baseman also has a 10-game hit streak and hits in 18 of his last 19 games. He now has five home runs on the season and finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs.

T6| Eddie showing off the power today with his second bomb

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NU 4#DirtyTerps pic.twitter.com/IyiZ5uv1Nn

— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 14, 2024

Kevin Keister, Brayden Martin, Alex Calarco and Lambros joined Hojnar and Hacopian as Terps with multiple hits. Keister and Martin each drove in a run. The Terrapins matched their season high with17 hits as a team.

Joey McMannis drew the start on the mound, going five innings, striking out four and allowing two earned runs.

Oh My God Elijah Lambros to end the game!!!!!#DirtyTerps | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/AXnG6qeew6

— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 14, 2024

Swope's Take
"Eddie hashad such a fantastic season and just what a great weekend he had," head coach Matt Swope said. "He's been on fire and even that last one he hit would have gone on most days. So, can't say enough about his consistency this season and his growth as a player. Sam, I thought [he had] one earlier that they missed that was fair. Sometimes that's demoralizing, but for him after the strikeout off the same guy earlier in the game, to come back and hit that [opposite field]home run was was obviously huge for us."

Hacopian On Lambros' Game Sealing Catch
"I remember I looked down and I was like 'Oh my gosh, if that's to left center and Lambros has a chance he's gonna catch it.' I looked up and it looked like he was tracking it. He's the best center fielder I've ever played with. The best center fielder I've ever seen. He's just incredible, and that was such an incredible catch."

Breaking Down The Action

E9| Evan Smith strands the bases loaded and we're headed to extras

Terps 8
NU 8#DirtyTerps pic.twitter.com/XQ7hdQhbx3

— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 14, 2024

• A Chris Hacopian leadoff walk led to Eddie Hacopian launching a two-run shot to left field, putting the Terps ahead 2-0 early in the first inning.
• Devin Russell belted an RBI double down the left-field line to increase Maryland's lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning.
• Northwestern scored its first run in the bottom of the second on a fielding error by the Terps to cut the lead to 3-1. A second fielding error advanced a Wildcats runner home, making it a one-run game at 3-2.
• The Wildcats hit their third leadoff double of the day in the third and followed that up with an RBI double to tie things up. Northwestern added another run with a sacrifice grounder and took a 4-3 lead heading into the fourth inning.
• Kevin Keister tied up the game in the fifth with an RBI single to center field. Brayden Martin then put Maryland ahead with a bunt single. Michael Iannazzo grounded into a double play but drove in another run home for the Terps to take a 6-4 lead.
• Hacopian launched his second homer of the day, hitting a two-run shot to left field, and extended the Terps' lead to 8-4 in the sixth.
• Northwestern hit a solo home run in the bottom frame of the sixth cutting Maryland's lead to three.
• The Wildcats hit another solo homer to chip at the lead 8-6 entering the eighth inning.
• Northwestern tied things up in the eighth as Griffin Mills belted a two-run shot down the right-field line.
• Evan Smith escaped a potential walk-off situation for Northwestern, stranding three runners in the bottom of the ninth.
• Sam Hojnar came up huge, smacking a solo home run down the left-field line for the potential game-winning run putting Maryland ahead 9-8 in the tenth.
• Smith closed out the game for the Terps with two strikeouts. Lambros made the final out by robbing a game tying home run.

Numbers To Know

T1|No doubter from @EddieHacopian

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— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 14, 2024

• 1: Eddie Hacopian recorded his first career multi-home run game.
• 1: Evan Smith earned his first win of his career.
• 5: Elijah Lambros has five three-hit games in his career.
• 10: Hacopian has a 10-game hitting streak and hits in 18 of his last 19 games. He's hitting .436(34-for-78) over his last 19 games.
• 10: Maryland is 10-3 in one run games this season.
• 11: Maryland has 11 wins in a last at-bat this season.
• 12: Hacopian has 12 three-hit games in his Maryland career, including five this season.
• 13: Hacopian has 13 home runs in his Maryland career, including five this season.
• 14: Maryland has 14 comeback wins this season.
• 17: Maryland recorded17 hits, matching its season high.
• 18: Sam Hojnar has 18 home runs in his career, including eight this season.
• 29: Lambros has 29 multi-hit games in his career, including 11 this season.
• 31: Hojnar recorded his 31st multi-hit game.
• 41: Hacopian recorded the 41st multi-hit game in his Maryland career, including 18 this season.
• 100: Hacopian made his 100th career start as a Terp.

Up Next

• Maryland will play at Delaware on April 16 for the school's second matchup of the season. The first pitch is at 4 pm and the game will be streamed on Flo Baseball and Maryland Baseball Network.