March 15, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Freshman Mike Sufczynski won his first career start, and Matt Maropis had his first multi-hit game since the season opener to lead Maryland to a 3-2 win over James Madison on Tuesday. Sufczynski gave up five hits and two runs over six innings to earn the win, as Maryland improved to 9-0 this season when giving up fewer than 10 hits.

Maropis went 2-for-3 with a home run, and scored two of the team's three runs to lead a 10-hit Maryland attack. His fourth-inning solo home run put the Terps up 3-1 after four innings and proved to be the game-winning run after the Dukes scored again in the top of the sixth.

James Madison jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by third baseman Nate Schill. Michael Cowgill walked with one out and advanced to third on a double by left fielder Kellen Kulbacki, before scoring on Schill's groundball to shortstop Dan Melvin. Melvin ranged to his left and made a nice play to get an out on the play, but Cowgill broke on contact and scored easily from third.

The Terps pulled even in the bottom of the second inning, as Maropis scored his first of his two runs in the game. Chad Durakis led off the inning with a hard single to left field, before being put out on a fielder's choice by Maropis. The junior second baseman stole his third base of the season, moving into scoring position with two outs in the inning. Nick Jowers reached on a walk, and got caught in a rundown on a double-steal attempt. A heads-up Jowers forced the run-down, and Maropis was able to round third and score before Jowers was tagged for the third out of the inning.

Sufczynski took control of the game, allowing just one hit and no runs over his next four innings of work. He walked just one batter over his six innings, and all three of his strikeouts in the game came consecutively between the fifth and sixth innings. In two appearances this season, Sufczynski has a 2.16 ERA and seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

With the score tied at 1-1, Elliot Singletary and Truan Mehl led off the third inning with back-to-back doubles to score the team's second run of the game. Singletary, who has three doubles in his last two games, ripped an 0-1 pitch into right field, and came around to score on Mehl's base-hit to right. Mehl's 20th career RBI gave Maryland its first of the lead of the game, 2-1 at the end of four innings.

Maropis' fourth-inning solo home run gave Maryland a 3-1 lead that it wouldn't relinquish, thanks to another strong outing from the Terrapin bullpen.

Sufczynski left with a 3-2 lead after six innings, with freshman Brad Taylor and senior Justin Hulse preserving the one-run lead with three scoreless innings. Taylor, also making his second career appearance, worked through an early jam and finished the game with 2.1 scoreless innings and two strikeouts.

The Dukes threatened in the top of the seventh, as Ryan Reid singled to start the inning, and Matt Bristow was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second and none out, Taylor didn't allow a ball to leave the infield and worked out of the tight spot without yielding a run.

Hulse relieved Taylor in the top of the ninth and closed out the game with a strikeout and groundball out. The senior picked up the sixth save of his career and first of 2005.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 4 p.m., as senior right-hander Sean Kane (0-1, 15.63 ERA) is set to face JMU's Bobby Lasko (0-3, 4.74 ERA). Admission to the Wednesday contest will be free, with live stats and audio available by logging on to www.umterps.com.