March 9, 2002
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md.- Junior Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead Maryland past Vermont, 11-4, Saturday afternoon in college baseball action at Shipley Field. The win was the tenth straight for the Terrapins, just one short of the school record for consecutive victories. Both the 1980 team and the 1939 Maryland squad also won 11 straight games, which the Terps will try and equal Sunday in the series finale.
The Terps got on the board first with one run in the first inning. Whitmer scored on a two-out, RBI-double by senior Kevin McDonald (Rockaway, N.J.).
The Catamounts scored three unearned runs in the second inning to take their first lead of the series, at 3-1. Garin Clough delivered the big hit with a three-run homer to put the Catamounts on top.
The Terps tied the contest at three in the bottom of the third by scoring a pair of runs. Senior Matt Swope (New Carrollton, Md.) blasted his fourth home run of the season and junior John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.) scored on a RBI-single by McDonald.
Maryland would take the lead for good in the fourth with another two runs. Whitmer crushed his first home run of the game, a two-run shot, to make the score 5-3.
The Catamounts closed the gap to 5-4 in the sixth as Raymond Montanez had an RBI-single to score Barry Chamberland.
The Terps put the game away in the eighth with six, two-out runs. Junior Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.) got things started with a clutch RBI-single to score sophomore Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.). Freshman Justin Maxwell (Olney, Md.) followed with a RBI-double to score George and Whitmer blasted his second homer of the game, to score Maxwell, and put Maryland ahead 9-4. Swope would continue the hit parade for Maryland with a single and then McCurdy followed with his team-leading eighth home run of the year to close out the scoring at 11-4.
McDonald was one of four Maryland players with two or more hits by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Maryland starter Todd Ainsworth (Hershey, Pa.) earned the win after pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run on eight hits. Ainsworth (3-0) struck out six and leads Maryland with three victories on the year. Vermont starter Jamie Merchant (0-1) got the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in six innings pitched.
With the victory, the Terps are now 11-2 on the year while Vermont falls to 0-2. The Terps look to close out the three-game sweep on Sunday. First pitch will be at noon at Shipley Field.
