Maryland
James Madison
Terps Can't Stop Isenberg, James Madison
3/18/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2003
Harrisonburg, Va. - Sophomore Jason Maxey (Columbia, Md.) hit his first home run of the year, but it wasn't enough as the James Madison Dukes (11-6, 0-0 CAA) extended their win streak to 11 games with a 9-7 win over the Maryland Terrapins (5-12, 0-3 ACC).
Maxey looked comfortable for the first time since returning from the broken wrist he suffered last fall. He laced an RBI single to right in the sixth inning, just his second hit in 14 at bats, before ripping a home run to right field in the eighth. Last year, Maxey slammed 17 home runs as a freshman.
Senior Jared Stuart (1-1) struggled after sitting down the first three Duke hitters to start the game, allowing at least a run in every inning until he was yanked in the sixth.
It was the fifth loss in a row for the Terps, who are in the midst of their toughest stretches of opponents this season.
The streak began with a loss on March 12 to the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, who opened the season in the top 25 in the nation. The Terps dropped three games over the weekend to No. 14 Wake Forest, and fell short today to James Madison, which won a team-record 44 games and won the Colonial Athletic Association last year.
The schedule doesn't let up, as the Terps travel this weekend to face No. 2 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Two days after rallying from down 9-2 to Wake Forest, the Terps appeared to be mounting a two-out comeback in the top of the sixth facing a 6-2 deficit, but Travis Ebaugh made a spectacular highlight-reel catch to save two runs and the inning.
They made a push again in the eighth and ninth innings, putting up two runs on Maxey's home run in the eighth and scoring two more in the ninth thanks to two infield throwing errors and a clutch single by junior Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.).
But Duke reliever Travis Miller came in and struck out sophomore Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) and Maxey with the winning runs on base for his second save of the season.
James Madison starter Kurt Isenberg (3-3), won his third start in a row after opening the season in relief. He scattered five hits and three runs (one earned) in seven innings.
Though Stuart earned a win last Tuesday against Towson, allowing four runs (two earned) in six innings, he was tagged for nine runs (seven earned) in today's loss.
He was, however, able to slow down James Madison's slugging first baseman Eddie Kim, who was named CAA Player of the Week yesterday after going 13-for-24 (.542) with four home runs and 16 RBI in seven games. Today, he went 1-for-4 with a strikeout as the Terps lost their 11th straight to James Madison.
Stuart's starts have been the quickest nine-inning games the Terps have played this year. Today's game clocked in at 2 hours and 43 minutes, while his previous start was done in 2 hours and 32 minutes. The game seemed even quicker due to Isenberg's quick delivery, as well as coming off of Maryland and Wake Forest's 13-inning, 4 hour and 13 minute marathon on Sunday.
The Terps will get Wednesday off before traveling to Atlanta to play a three-game series against No. 2 Georgia Tech. The first pitch on Friday, March 21 will come at 4:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday's games starting at 1:30 p.m.
