March 18, 2005

Final Stats

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - Chris Clem went 8.0 strong innings, but lost a pitcher's duel to Virginia's Mike Ballard, as Maryland fell, 4-1, at UVa Baseball Stadium on Friday. Clem made his third quality start (at least 6.0 IP, three or fewer ER) in his last four outings, giving up three earned runs to a UVa team that had averaged over 10 runs in its last three games. Truan Mehl led the Maryland offense with two hits, and Jordan Wilson drove in a run for the fourth straight game with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

The two teams combined for just one extra-base hit, and a walk to Terp left fielder Will Frazier was the only free pass issued in a tightly contested, low scoring affair. Four Terrapins had hits, led by Truan Mehl whose two hits extended his team-high hit streak to four games. The team's RBI leader, Jordan Wilson, returned from an ankle injury and drove in a run for his fourth straight game, and second baseman Matt Maropis extended a hit streak to three games with a single in the fourth inning.

Virginia starter Mike Ballard (5-1, 2.25 ERA) was the story of the game, though, as he threw a complete game, five-hitter to extend UVa's current win streak to seven games. A season-high 1,038 fans were in attendance, as the two teams played the shortest (two hours, six minutes) game of Maryland's season so far.

Virginia's offense got going early, scoring runs in the first and second innings. In the first, leadoff hitter Tim Henry fought off a 1-2 Clem offering into left field and scored two batters later on an RBI single by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. For Zimmerman, one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's top run producers, it was his 30th RBI of the season.

In the second, the Cavaliers led off the inning with back-to-back base hits, scoring their second run of the game on an RBI single by catcher Scott Headd. Left fielder Brandon Guyer led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and scored on Headd's opposite-field single to right. A single by Mike Campagna left runners on first and second with one out, but a diving play and putout by shortstop Dan Melvin and inning-ending groundout limited the damage.

Chris Clem bounced back and didn't allow a hit over the next three innings, but UVa rallied in the bottom of the sixth for two runs and a 4-0 lead. The Cavaliers singled three times (two with two outs) in the inning and scored a run on a Maryland fielding error for two more runs and a four-run lead through six innings.

Maryland responded in the top of the sixth inning with its first run of the game. After a Matt Maropis groundout, Truan Mehl started things off with a line-drive single into center field. A walk to Will Frazier left runners on first and second with one out, and Jordan Wilson came through with a single through the left side. The base hit scored Maropis from second and pulled Maryland within three runs at 4-1. For Wilson, who missed the team's last four games with a sprained ankle, it was his team-high 14th RBI of the season.

Clem closed the game out strong, holding the Cavaliers hitless in the seventh and eighth innings. But the Terp offense couldn't mount a comeback, as Maryland fell by a 4-1 score.

The teams will play the second of three games Saturday at 2 p.m., with Terp right-hander Ben Pfinsgraff making his sixth start of the season against Virginia's Matt Avery. Tomorrow's game time was moved from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. due to expected inclement weather in the area.