Feb. 12, 2005
Final Stats
No. 28/25 Winthrop used 14 hits and a five-run second inning to power its way past Maryland, 8-0, at Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C on Saturday. The Terps had nine hits in the game, but couldn't convert on their opportunities, leaving 10 runners on base. Infielders Dan Melvin and Matt Maropis each had a pair of hits in the loss, and Chris Clem threw five solid innings of relief.
Winthrop got on the board in the second inning, using four hits and an error to take an early 5-0 lead. After inducing a ground ball out to start the inning, Maryland starter Sean Kane hit Winthrop outfielder Kyle Roberson with a pitch to put a man on base. Roberson stole second and scored on a single through the right side by catcher Alan Robbins. Kane then walked third baseman Ben Ehrlich and gave up a single to second baseman Chris Carrara. Center fielder Justin Maxwell made an errant throw on the play, scoring Robbins and moving Winthrop runners to second and third.
Carrara would score on a sacrifice fly to center by pitcher Heath Rollins, and preseason All-American Daniel Carte put Winthrop up 4-0 with a hard double down the left field line. He would eventually score the Eagles' fifth and final run of the inning on an opposite-field single by Jacob Dempsey.
Maryland would threaten in the top of the third, using singles by Chad Durakis and Matt Maropis and a walk by Will Frazier to load the bases with two outs. Justin Maxwell, in his first collegiate game since the 2003 season, struck out on a high, outside fastball to end the inning.
Kane worked threw a scoreless third inning, striking out one batter and giving up one hit, before giving way to Chris Clem in the bottom of the fourth. For the day, Kane gave up five earned runs and six hits over three innings of work, striking out three and walking one.
Winthrop got to Clem early, scoring two runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the fourth, but he settled down late, giving up just one run over his final four innings of work. For the day, Clem gave up eight hits and two earned runs over five innings.
The Terps again loaded the bases in the top of the fifth, but Winthrop starter Heath Rollins got another key strikeout on Brian Jarosinski to end the inning. Rollins went deep in the ball game, giving up nine hits and striking out eight over eight shutout innings.
Several Terps had solid days in the losing effort, as both sophomore Dan Melvin and second baseman Matt Maropis had a pair of hits. The entire Terp infield showed progress on defense, with all four making at least one exceptional defensive play in the game. Maropis and Singletary both made rangy plays up the middle on hard-hit balls, Melvin made an impressive grab on a hard-hit groundball to his left and Jason Von Behren made an agile play on a chopper down the first base line.
Winthrop won its second straight game of the Coca Cola Classic, topping tomorrow's Maryland's opponent, Western Kentucky, on Thursday. The Terps take on the Hilltoppers tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. and travel to Wilmington, N.C. for a three-game set with UNC-Wilmington next weekend.
