Maryland
NC State
Maryland Magic: Terps Down No. 5 N.C. State
5/2/2003 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2003
Raleigh, N.C. - For the second time in three weeks, Chris Clem (Berwyn, Pa.) pitched the Maryland Terrapins past a ranked ACC foe, and for the second time senior Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) was there to make sure it happened.
The Terps won their fourth game in a row over No. 5 North Carolina State Wolfpack (37-11, 13-6 ACC), a 5-2 victory in front of 851 fans at Doak Field in Raleigh.
The win was the Terps' first over a top-five opponent since a 9-8 win over No. 4 Georgia Tech on April 13, 2002, and it was the Terps' fourth victory over a nationally-ranked foe this season following wins over then-No. 18 Stetson, and two wins over then-No. 15 Clemson. Maryland has won five of their last seven conference games.
Clem scattered eight hits over seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) to pick up his fourth victory of the year. The sophomore right-hander showed excellent command, striking three and walking just one batter.
Senior ace Schmoll came on in the eighth inning to ensure victory, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out three. The starter picked up his third save of the year, two of which have come after his conversion from closer to starter.
The game was a replay of a 9-6 victory over Clemson on April 19, when Clem allowed six unearned runs in six innings with Schmoll pitching the last two for a save.
The duo got the job done by shutting down N.C. State's top four hitters, who went a combined 1-for-18.
The win also snapped starter Michael Rogers' 10-game win streak, handing him just his second loss of the year.
Rogers was rolling - striking out eight through four innings - until the top of the fifth, when Maryland put up three runs on three hits.
Catcher Jason Maxey (Columbia, Md.), playing just his fourth game of the team's last 16, clubbed a double over the head of right fielder Joe Gaetti, and scored on an RBI-double by senior shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.), who has collected a hit in 10 of the team's last 11 games.
Sophomore Joe Sargent (Chesapeake Beach, Md.) drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run home run over the 25-foot high left field fence. Sargent has a team-high 12 runs batted in just 36 at-bats.
Four of the Wolfpack's first six hits were infield singles, but Clem was resilient under pressure.
N.C. State put runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth. Adam Hargrave bunted into fielder's choice, leaving runners on first and third with one out. Clem then struck out Marc Maynor looking, and got Jeremy Dutton to ground out to senior shortstop Kyle George (Bel Air, Md.).
Clem also got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 7th, striking Maynor out looking and getting J.R. Riley - the Wolfpack's RBI leader - to fly out to deep center.
The Terps swept N.C. State last season, including a complete-game, 2-hit shutout by Sean Kane (West Chester, Pa.), who will start tomorrow's 1:30 p.m. game.
