March 1, 2003

Box Score

Norfolk, Va. - Showing signs of rust after going two weeks without playing, the Maryland Terrapins (1-4, 0-0 ACC) dropped two games by slim margins on Saturday to the visiting Binghamton Bearcats (3-2, 0-0 ACC).

After having four games cancelled due to inclement weather and field conditions, the Terps took their act to Norfolk, Va., at Virginia Wesleyan College, albeit without the desired results.

The afternoon doubleheader featured an offensive battle in the first game, with the two teams slugging out 14 runs on 15 hits, while the second game was a pitchers' duel, featuring just eight hits combined.

Starter Sean Kane (West Chester, Pa.), coming off a decent start against Kentucky, was sharp in the second game, allowing just two hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out six.

The Terps seemed poised to come back in the first game, an 8-6 loss, after roaring back from down 8-2 in the fourth inning. The Terps had the bases loaded in the fifth inning with just one out, but reliever Mike Weglinski bailed out starter J.D. Brink, getting Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.) to pop out and Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) to line out to center.

Reliever Brooks Norris (Baltimore, Md.) kept the team in the game, making a bang in his first appearance of the season. He pitched three innings, giving up no hits and no walks while striking out five. Starter Chris Clem (Berwyn, Pa.), who blanked then-No. 18 Stetson on Feb. 15, was roughed up for six runs (four earned) in three innings.

Missed chances also played a role in the second game, which ended in 4-2 in favor of Binghamton. The Terp pitching staff, led by Kane, struck out a season-high ten batters and allowed just two hits after the third inning. For the game, the team's four hits allowed tied for a season-low.

But the Bearcats' pitching was equally effective, with starter Mike Messina and Johmin Hickey allowing just four hits as well. Hickey retired both Bobby Ryan (Damascus, Md.) and Joseph Natale (Hoboken, N.J.) with the bases loaded in the seventh to snuff a late-inning comeback and kept the hitting in check.

Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) showed signs of breaking out of his slump at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI in the second game, but had a tough day in the field, committing a number of throwing errors.

Mike Costantino (Somerset, Mass.) reached base fives times - three hits and two walks - in eight plate appearances. In addition, Ryan touched base three times on the day, bringing his season on-base percentage to a team-high .609.

T.J. Kowalchuk continued his hot hitting for the Bearcats, going 4-7 with three RBI on the day, and Binghamton got strong efforts from its starting pitchers. Two Binghamton hitters - Joe Costello and pitcher/first baseman Jacob Thiel - went deep in the game.