April 29, 2003

Box Score

Newark, Del. - The Delaware Blue Hens (15-28, 4-10 CAA) have already lost the most games in team history, on the heels of a 35-22 season. Returning several players from a team that collectively hit .313 last season, the 2003 squad was batting just .244 entering Tuesday's game against the Maryland Terrapins (16-27, 4-13 ACC).

In a 9-5 win, the Blue Hens showed they are still capable of scoring big runs, and exposed a Maryland bullpen that had been nearly flawless in the past four games.

Redshirt senior Todd Ainsworth (Hershey, Pa.) often pitched out of jams, allowing four runs in the second but leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and a runner on third in the first.

The Terps tagged starter Ryan Dulaney, who walked a season-high four batters and allowed five runs, including a go-ahead single in the fifth that put Maryland ahead 5-4. But when Ainsworth, who had thrown over 110 pitches, left the game in the sixth with runners on second and third with one out, reliever Brooks Norris (Baltimore, Md.) allowed an RBI single and groundout to put Delaware ahead.

Reliever Matt Basinger (Connellsville, Pa.) allowed three more runs in the eighth on three hits.

Basinger had not given up a run in his past 4.1 innings; Norris had not been scored on in his past four.

Scott Rambo, who entered the game with a 7.07 earned run average, picked up a three-inning save, striking out the tying run - sophomore Joe Sargent (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) - with two outs in the top of the ninth.

Sargent battled with Rambo for 12 pitches in the final at-bat, fouling off six pitches before waving through strike three. On the day, Sargent faced 31 pitches in his four plate appearances, making Delaware pitchers work for their outs. The second baseman was 1-for-4 with two runs scored, and has seven hits in his past 16 at bats (.438).

Senior shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.), who made his third appearance from the mound in the eighth inning, went 2-for-4 at the plate to extend his hitting streak to nine games, tying Brian Jarosinski's (Olney, Md.) streak that was snapped on Sunday at Duke.

Junior Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) extended his hitting streak to seven games by reaching base in four of his five plate appearances (two hits, two walks), while sophomore catcher Bobby Ryan (Damascus, Md.) had his first multi-hit game since March 11. Sophomore Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) added two runs batted in, while sophomore Justin Maxwell (Olney, Md.) went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

The Terps will get a chance to get even with Delaware when the Blue Hens visit Shipley Field next week.

Maryland will look to take the season series with Towson tomorrow when they play the Tigers at Towson at 4:00 p.m. The Terps won the last meeting, with Towson claiming victory on March 16.