Maryland
Towson
Terps Tame Tigers 12-11 Behind McCurdy's Two Home Runs
3/6/2002 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6, 2002
TOWSON, Md. - Junior shortstop John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.) hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the University of Maryland (10-2) rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to win its eighth game in a row, a 12-11 victory over previously unbeaten Towson University (4-1) at Schuerholz Park on Wednesday afternoon.
McCurdy, who now has seven homers in 12 games, led a 16-hit Terrapin attack that included five doubles, a triple and three home runs.
However, the Terrapins didn't pull out the win until senior righthander Ken Beck (Laurel, Md.) earned his third save of the season by pitching out of a ninth inning jam. With runners on first and third and one out, Beck struck out senior catcher Casey Stidham and freshman outfielder Mark Chiccini to end the game.
The Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings as senior centerfielder Gregg Davies hit a two-run homer in the first and junior outfielder Joey Marcozzi slapped a two-run single in the second inning.
Maryland came back with four runs in the third as McCurdy hit a two-run homer to right field and freshman leftfielder Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) doubled home a run.
In the Tigers' half of the third inning, senior third baseman Scott Bacon and sophomore first baseman Mike Costello led off with back-to-back homers, giving the Tigers a 7-4 lead and chasing Maryland starter Josh Andrews (Monrovia, Md.). Junior righthander Matt Basinger (Connellsville, Pa.) came out of the bullpen to shut down the Tigers in his 4.1 innings of work.
McCurdy's second homer of the game, a solo shot to centerfield, highlighted a three-run rally in the fifth inning that tied the game at 7-7.
However, the Tigers regained the lead in their half of the fifth inning when Costello hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left field.
Maryland came right back in the sixth inning to tie the game again. Junior Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.) had the big hit of the inning, a two-run double to centerfield.
The Terrapins took their first lead of the game in the seventh inning when Frazier led off with a home run. Sophomore first baseman Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) doubled later in the inning and scored on an infield grounder.
Towson pulled to within 11-10 in the last of the seventh when Stidham had an RBI triple. Moments later, he tried to score the tying run on a wild pitch. But, the ball came right back to catcher Kevin McDonald (Rockaway, N.J.) and he tagged Stidham out at the plate.
Maryland added its 12th run in the ninth inning on an RBI single by junior outfielder Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.), making it 12-10.
That run became important in the bottom of the ninth when the Tigers rallied to score a run before Beck retired the last two batters to earn the save.
Gemmill and Buffone each had three hits for the Terrapins. Gemmill had two doubles and three RBI's. Costello led the Tigers with two hits and three RBI's.
Basinger (1-0), who allowed three runs and three hits in 4.1 innings of work, was the winning pitcher.
