Maryland
Marist
Marist's Three Home Runs Silence Terps
3/7/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2003
College Park, Md. - Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) was dealt his first loss of the year tonight as the Maryland's (3-6, 0-0 ACC) bats fell silent in an 8-3 loss to undefeated Marist (4-0).
With scouts in attendance, Schmoll pitched well, striking out 10 hitters in six innings of work and walking two. The ten strikeouts were the most for a Terp pitcher since Schmoll himself did it on March 10, 2002 against Vermont.
After recording a 1-5 record last season as a part-time starter, Schmoll opened this season as the team's closer. Seeking some stability in the starting rotation, head coach Terry Rupp decided to give the senior the nod.
Schmoll gave up two runs in the top of the first inning on a home run by Keith Brachold despite striking out the side. He cruised from then on, allowing just two hits in the next four innings before hitting some trouble in the sixth, when a one-out three-run home run by Tim Allen would exploit the Terps' inability to get on base.
Allen did most of the damage for the Red Foxes, hitting two home runs, a double, and collecting four RBI.
Terrapin hitters struggled after the first inning, collecting just three hits off of starter Chuck Bechtel (2-0) and reliever George Heath. Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) had the most success at the plate, knocking a two-run single to left field in the first and extending his team season-high hitting streak to five games.
Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) stole his third base of the season, giving him 32 for his career. With another steal, Whitmer will move into a four-way tie with Marty Freeman (1983-1984), Jim Norris (1968-1971) and All-American John McCurdy (2000-02) on the Terps' all-time steal list.
Schmoll's ten strikeouts give him 24 in 12.2 innings this season, while he has walked just five. Though still early in the season, he is on pace to strike out 149 batters, which would obliterate the Maryland single-season record held by Minnesota Twins ace Eric Milton (1994-1996), who struck out 118 in 1996.
Shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.) made his first appearance of the season as a pitcher, moving from the infield dirt to the pitching mound to bail out Jared Stuart from a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth. George struck out both batters he faced, and stayed in the game to hit leadoff in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Maropis (Export, Pa.) took over at short.
George is the third Terp to moonlight as both a pitcher and hitter this season, following Brooks Norris (0-for-1 as a hitter, 9.00 ERA as a pitcher) and Jeremy Hunt (.400, 9.00).
Maryland will take the field face Marist again Saturday afternoon at 1, and finish up the series on Sunday, March 9, also at 1 p.m.
