Baseball News: Maryland and UCLA

May 16, 2026, 20:40

Introduction

Maryland won a series against Penn State. UCLA won one game against Washington.

Main Body

Maryland beat Penn State 6-4. Devin Russell hit two home runs. Logan Hastings was a great pitcher. He got 12 strikeouts. Coach Swope is not happy. He thinks the team played poorly this year. The pitchers did not stop the other teams from scoring. UCLA is the number one team. They beat Washington 6-5. Aiden Aguayo and Cashel Dugger hit the ball well. They won the game in the last inning.

Conclusion

Maryland finished their season with a win. UCLA is ready for their last game.

Learning

⚾️ Talking About the Past

When we talk about sports games that already happened, we change the action words. Look at these changes from the text:

Win $\text{→}$ Won
Beat $\text{→}$ Beat (stays the same!)
Hit $\text{→}$ Hit (stays the same!)

The Secret Rule: Some words are "rebels" and don't follow the normal -ed rule.

Examples from the news:

Maryland won a series.
Devin Russell hit two home runs.
UCLA beat Washington.

Quick Tip: If you want to say someone did something yesterday or last week, use these specific forms to sound like a natural A2 speaker.

Vocabulary Learning

series (n.)

a set of games played consecutively

Example:The series of games lasted for two weeks.

home (n.)

the place where one lives

Example:She returned home after the game.

pitcher (n.)

a player who throws the ball in baseball

Example:The pitcher threw a fastball.

strikeout (n.)

when a pitcher gets a batter out by three strikes

Example:He recorded a strikeout in the third inning.

coach (n.)

a person who trains and directs athletes

Example:The coach gave a pep talk.

team (n.)

a group of players working together

Example:The team celebrated their victory.

play (v.)

to participate in a game or sport

Example:They will play tomorrow night.

score (v.)

to earn points or runs in a game

Example:The team scored two runs.

number (n.)

a figure or digit used to count or identify

Example:He was the number one player.

season (n.)

a period of time when a sport is played

Example:The season ended with a championship.

win (n.)

a victory in a game or competition

Example:They celebrated the win.

ready (adj.)

prepared and willing to start

Example:The team is ready for the next game.

inning (n.)

a division of a baseball game during which each team bats

Example:The game went to the ninth inning.