COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Nine outs from a potentially pivotal midweek win, West Virginia sustained a 7-6 loss instead when its bullpen failed at No. 21 Maryland.
The Mountaineers (19-12) got a three-run Cole Austin homer in the first and a quality start by Alek Manoah, who departed after the sixth leading 5-2.
But Maryland struck for five runs in the seventh against reliever Jackson Sigman (0-2), who recorded only one out as his season ERA climbed to 6.57.
The Terrapins (21-10) escaped a dicey situation in the ninth, when reliever Ryan Hill earned his first save by striking out WVU’s Darius Hill with the tying run at third base.
Jackson Cramer’s three hits included his seventh homer run of the season, which put the Mountaineers ahead 4-0 in the third.
Manoah struck out six and allowed only three hits over six innings, losing a shutout in his final inning on a two-run homer by Madison Nickens.
Still, West Virginia led 5-2 in the seventh on Brandon White’s sac-fly before Sigman’s 24-pitch outing saw Maryland rally.
This time he allowed six of the seven batters he faced to reach, including Dan Maynard’s inning-launching homer. An RBI single from Brandon Gum and AJ Lee’s suicide squeeze tied the game at 5-all before Braden Zarbnisky replaced Sigman facing a one-out jam.
The left-hander was greeted by Nickens’ two-run go-ahead single.
It was a second straight rocky appearance for Sigman, who was tagged for four runs in 2 2/3 innings during Sunday’s 7-2 loss to Kansas.
Tuesday’s comeback made a winner of the Terps’ fourth pitcher Ryan Selmer (2-0), who lasted 2 1/3 innings before yielding Austin’s sac-fly in the ninth.
West Virginia lost back-to-back games for the first time since March 10.