Jack LauschJack Lausch

Lausch Homers Twice, 'Cats Drop Series Finale at Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – OF Jack Lausch hit his first two career home runs as Northwestern fell to Maryland 22-11 in seven innings on Sunday in the series finale. 

Northwestern (12-13, 5-4 Big Ten) hit five home runs, matching its season-high, previously set in game two of a doubleheader against Illinois on March 21.

Maryland (14-14, 3-6 Big Ten) scored 22 runs on 16 hits, going deep five times in the win.

In the top of the third, Lausch became the ninth Wildcat to hit a home run this season, matching last season's total in just 25 games. A fifth-inning single gave Lausch his seventh multi-hit game of the season. Lausch's two-run home run in the top of the seventh made him the fourth different Wildcat to record a multi-homer game this season. Lausch's three hits are a career-high.

First career HR for @jack_lausch! ?? pic.twitter.com/ZxjXbwlTJG

— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) March 30, 2025
INF Owen McElfatrick hit a grand slam in the top of the fifth, the second of his career and his second home run of the season.

One batter later, OF Jackson Freeman hit his second home run of the weekend, a solo shot to right-center. Freeman went 3-for-4 with a stolen base.

C Bennett Markinson hit his fourth home run of the year to cap off Northwestern's eight-run fifth inning, a two-run shot scoring INF Vince Bianchina.

RHP Amar Tsengeg (0-1) is credited with the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 1.0 inning of work.

Series Notes
  • Northwestern clinched its first series win at Maryland since May 12-14, 2017.
  • Northwestern won consecutive Big Ten series for the first time since April 1-10, 2022 (at Indiana, vs Penn State).
  • Northwestern is off to its best start to conference play through nine games since 2021, when it started 6-3.

Northwestern will return to the Windy City for a midweek at UIC on Tuesday, April 1 at 4 p.m. CT, before hosting Iowa for a three-game series at Miller Park next weekend.