Maryland
Winthrop
Maryland Falls In A Heartbreaker To Winthrop, 6-7
2/13/2004 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 13, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland baseball team (0-1) opened its season in dramatic fashion, going down to the last out before the game was decided. In the end, the Terps came up short when Winthrop University's Matt Matkovich hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Eagles the victory.
The Terps struggled at the plate early, but broke out offensively in the sixth inning when they scored five of their six runs. Freshman Dan Melvin (Fredericksburg, Va.) started the rally off with a single up the middle, just the third hit of the game for the Terps. After Elliot Singletary (North Fort Myers, Fla.) reached on a walk, Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) knocked in the Terrapins' first runs of the game with a two-run double to right center. Mike Costantino (Somerset, Mass.) followed that up with an RBI-double of his own.
The Terrapins' lone senior, Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) then capped off the inning when he hit the first home run of the 2004 season for the team, sending the two-run shot over the right field wall. Buffone ended the game with two RBI on a 2-for-4 performance.
The Eagles made a comeback of their own in the sixth, scoring four runs to tie the game up at six. Two innings later, Maryland took back the lead when Matt Maropis (Export, Pa.), who came on as a pinch runner for Costantino, scored on a wild throw by Winthrop's Matkovich.
Junior Kevin Hart (Dallas, Texas) came on to close in the ninth, striking out the first two batters he faced. The Eagles' Chris Carrara then reached base after the Terps committed an error trying to get him out at first. The next batter, Matkovich, then took a pitch deep for the walk-off home run.
Chris Clem (Berwyn, Pa.) took the mound for Maryland and started the game off with a strong performance. He allowed just one run on four hits during his first five innings of work. Freshman Casey Baron (Fairland, Md.) made his collegiate debut, coming in for Clem during the sixth inning. Justin Hulse (Rockville, Md.) had an impressive performance for the Terrapins, shutting down each of the eight batters he faced.
The Terrapins will meet the Kent State on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C.
