Maryland baseball's offense has been a powerhouse all season, ranking second in the Big Ten in runs scored and tied for 20th nationally. But on Friday, the bats went cold at the worst possible time.

The Terps managed just three runs in a 5-3 loss to Rutgers at Bainton Field, dropping the opening game of a critical conference series. Through the first six innings, Maryland could only push across a single run, leaving their pitching staff with little margin for error.

Jordan Crosland and Bud Coombs did their part, combining for six hits. But the rest of the lineup went quiet, collecting just two hits in 27 plate appearances. That lack of support overshadowed yet another strong outing from right-hander Cristofer Cespedes.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore was dominant, striking out seven over seven innings. Despite allowing five runs, only one was earned. It continued a remarkable stretch for Cespedes, who has surrendered just one earned run across his last 18-plus innings of work.

The game started inauspiciously for Maryland. After Cespedes retired the first two batters, a throwing error by Brayden Martin kept the inning alive. Rutgers made him pay immediately, as Matt Chatelle and Ryan Jaros crushed back-to-back home runs to open a 3-0 lead.

Cespedes settled in from there, retiring nine of the next 11 hitters and keeping the Scarlet Knights off the board for three innings. But the Terps' offense couldn't capitalize. Devin Russell and Crosland ripped back-to-back extra-base hits in the fourth, and Martin's sacrifice fly finally got Maryland on the board. That was it until the late innings.

Rutgers added a run in the fifth on Jack Sweeney's infield hit, aided by a Cespedes pickoff error that moved Tyler Wiltsey into scoring position.

Coombs tried to spark a comeback. The standout freshman launched a 396-foot solo home run with two outs in the seventh, then drove in Ty Kaunas later in the game. But the rally fell short, leaving Maryland searching for answers as the series continues.