Maryland
Virginia
Virginia Spoils Kane's Gem 4-2
3/29/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2003
Charlottesville, Va. - Sophomore starter Sean Kane (West Chester, Pa.) pitched well on Saturday night, but will have to wait until next weekend to try for his first win of the year as the Maryland Terrapins (6-17, 0-8 ACC) fell 4-2 to the Virginia Cavaliers (16-8, 5-3 ACC).
Kane left in the eighth inning with the game tied at two runs apiece, but reliever Chris Bowen (Glenwood, Md.) allowed a two-run home run to first baseman Joe Koshansky to help keep Virginia's home record a perfect 14-0.
After getting the leadoff batter to ground out to start the eighth, Bowen (2-2) walked shortstop Mark Reynolds, who scored three of the Cavaliers' four runs in the game. Koshansky then launched his second career home run deep over the right field fence and out of view into the night sky.
Kane has now lost three games decided by two runs or less and received two no-decisions, including a March 8 game in which he had a commanding 7-2 lead.
He even outlasted Virginia starter Mike Ballard, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Kane pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits.
The Terps broke up freshman Ballard's no-hit bid and the shutout in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by junior Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.), his 12th RBI of the year.
Senior centerfielder Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) put up the first Terp run of the series after reaching on his second walk of the game and advancing to third on a hit-and-run single by third baseman Mike Costantino (Somerset, Mass.).
Sophomore left fielder Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) almost added two more runs to the scoreboard, drilling a shot 370 feet to left-center that Virginia left fielder Matt Dunn was able to reach. It was Dunn's second hit-stealing catch of the game after a diving grab of a Justin Maxwell (Olney, Md.) drive in the second inning.
Virginia went ahead in the bottom of the inning, with shortstop Mark Reynolds scoring on a Ryan Zimmerman double-play. The Cavaliers' method of manufacturing runs was classic small-ball, scoring in the bottom of the fourth on a single, passed ball, ground out and single, and the sixth inning RBI grounded-into-double play.
Senior shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.) tied the game back up in the top of the eighth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that scored Buffone. Maxwell, the next batter up, hit a ground ball down the third base line but Zimmerman made a nice grab to throw out Maxwell and end the inning.
The Terps weren't without chances, hitting into double plays in the second and fifth innings, and stranding two baserunners each in the seventh and eighth innings. Eight runners were left on base for the game.
Maryland will try to salvage the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Davenport Field.
NOTES: Saturday's game was the Terps' shortest of the year at 2 hours and 15 minutes.
