Maryland
Florida State
No. 3 Florida State Takes Second Straight From Maryland, 10-8
5/11/2002 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 11, 2002
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew hit a game-winning two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give No. 3 Florida State a 10-8 victory over Maryland at Dick Howser Stadium. Florida State (47-12, 14-6 ACC) won its second straight over Maryland (33-21, 6-17 ACC), which had fought back from a four-run deficit to take an eighth-inning lead.
Drew's homer spoiled the Terps' comeback effort and denied Maryland its first ACC road victory. The Terps had scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take an 8-7 lead, but the Seminoles scored the final three runs of the game.
Freshman first baseman Jason Maxey (Columbia, Md.) put the Terps up 1-0 when he led off the second inning with his 16th home run of the season. Maxey has homered in five of his last six games and extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games.
In the bottom of the third, FSU's Richie Smith led off with a walk and Drew followed with a bloop single to left-center. After Maryland starter Chris Clem (Berwyn, Pa.) got Tony McQuade to fly to center, Ryan Barthelemy lined a shot just inside first base for a two-run double to put the Seminoles up, 2-1. Clem got out of further trouble when Jerrod Brown lined out to Maxey, who stepped on first to double up Blair McCaleb.
Florida State put two runners on to start the bottom of the fourth. After Tony Richie sacrificed the players to second and third, Smith hit a double just inside the first base bag to score two runs and put the Seminoles up, 4-1, and chase Clem from the game. Junior right-hander Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) relieved Clem and loaded the bases before getting a force at home and grounder to second to escape with no further damage.
With one out in the top of the fifth, freshman center fielder Justin Maxwell (Olney, Md.) and Whitmer hit back-to-back singles. After senior right fielder Matt Swope (New Carrollton, Md.) was robbed of extra bases on a sparkling catch by Florida State center fielder Nick Rogers against the right-center field fence, junior shortstop John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.) walked to load the bases. Maxey then hit a bullet off the right-center field fence to score Maxwell and Whitmer and pull the Terps within 4-3, but the freshman first baseman was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double for the final out of the inning.
Schmoll held the Seminoles scoreless in the fifth, but the first three batters in the sixth reached on an error, a bunt single and a walk. The Seminoles then scored three unearned runs on a Barthelemy sacrifice fly and a Rogers two-out, two-run single to take a 7-3 lead.
Swope pulled the Terps within three runs at 7-4 when he hit a two-out, RBI ground-rule double to score senior catcher Kevin McDonald (Rockaway, N.J.). McCurdy followed with a bouncer into the hole between second and first that first baseman Jerrod Brown gloved and threw to LaMacchia, but McCurdy just beat LaMacchia to the base with a head-first slide. Swope hustled around third on the play to score the Terps' fifth run.
The infield single was McCurdy's 95th hit of the season, tying him with Derek Hacopian for the Terps' all-time single-season hits record.
The Terps plated three in the top of the eighth to take the lead. Buffone led off with a lead-off single to left field and junior second baseman Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.) slammed his third home run of the season to left-center field to extend his career-best hitting streak to nine games but more importantly tie the game at 7-7. After a strikeout, McDonald gave the Terps an 8-7 lead with towering home run down the right field line.
Junior right-hander Matt Basinger (Conellsville, Pa.), who relieved Schmoll and pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh, surrendered a pinch-hit solo homer to Mike Futtrell to tie the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth.
Terrapin closer Ken Beck (Laurel, Md.) entered the 8-8 game with one out in the ninth inning and a one-strike count on FSU's Tony Richie. Richie reached on an error before Richie Smith lined out to right field. Drew then hit Beck's 3-1 delivery over the center field fence to give the Seminoles the victory.
Maxey and junior left fielder Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) led Maryland with three hits. Maxey had three RBI, while McDonald scored two runs.
Daniel Davidson recorded the victory and is now 6-0. Beck took the loss and is now 1-1.
The Terps return to action tomorrow for the series finale with Florida State at 1 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium. Maryland freshman right-hander Sean Kane (West Chester, Pa.) takes the hill against Florida State's Blair Varnes.
