March 19, 2005

Final Stats

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - Maryland baseball (10-9, 3-5 ACC) jumped out to an early lead with one of its most solid all-around efforts of the season, but Virginia (16-6, 2-3 ACC) capped a late rally with a walk-off home run and came away with a 6-5 win on Saturday. The Cavaliers' Ryan Hudson took an 0-2 offering just over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning to hand the Terps their second 6-5 walk-off loss in three conference games.

Maryland starter Ben Pfinsgraff allowed just one unearned run through the game's first five innings, and the Maryland offense put together three straight scoring innings to give the Terps a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead through five innings of play. The bottom of the Maryland lineup was a spark early, as 7-8-9 hitters Jason Von Behren, Chad Durakis and Nick Jowers each scored a run and combined to reach base in five of their first six at-bats

Despite allowing the home run in the ninth, Chris Bowen and the Maryland bullpen continued their solid play of late. Bowen allowed just his second run in 14.1 innings this season (team-best 1.26 ERA), and the Maryland pen gave up just its second run in the last 15.2 innings.

Matt Maropis, Truan Mehl and Jordan Wilson each continued to swing the bat well in the game, and freshman Nick Jowers came through with his first career hit, two walks and a run. Maropis and Wilson each had RBI base hits, and each extended hit streaks to four games. Wilson drove in at least one run for the fifth straight game, and Maropis tied a season-best with a team-high two RBI.

The bottom of the order got the Maryland offense going in the top of the third inning, as the Terps jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Jason Von Behren worked a full count and walked to lead off the inning, and Chad Durakis moved him along to second with a line drive single up the middle. A walk to Nick Jowers loaded the bases with no outs, and a chopper to the right side scored Von Behren for the Terps' first and only run of the inning. Virginia starter Matt Avery worked his way out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to second base, but not until Maryland had struck first for a 1-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, Maryland tacked on another run, using a leadoff double by Jordan Wilson and an RBI single by Dan Melvin to take a two-run lead. Wilson hit a line drive into the right field corner to start the inning, and Will Frazier followed with another hard line drive that was caught just in front of the left-center field warning track. With one out, Dan Melvin ripped a 1-2 Matt Avery offering into right-center field to score Wilson from second and give Maryland a 2-0 lead.

Virginia chipped away in the bottom half of the inning, scoring an unearned run off Maryland starter Ben Pfinsgraff. After Matt Street grounded out to start the inning, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Jason Von Behren. Zimmerman came around to score (unearned) on an RBI single by Sean Doolittle, making the score 2-1 through four innings.

The Maryland bats put up another three runs in the top of the fifth for the Terps' third consecutive scoring inning. Chad Durakis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Nick Jowers walked for the second time in the game to put runners on first and second with no outs. Elliot Singletary laid down his team-leading fourth sacrifice bunt of the season to move Durakis and Jowers into scoring position, and Matt Maropis plated them both with a single through the right side.

Truan Mehl reached on a well-placed bunt single down the third base line, moving Maropis to second base and forcing a UVa pitching change. After the change, Jordan Wilson capped the Maryland scoring with a line-drive RBI single into left field. Maropis scored from second on the base hit, with the run moving Wilson's RBI streak to five games and Maryland's lead to 5-1.

After cruising through the first five innings, Ben Pfinsgraff ran into trouble in the sixth, as Virginia put up four runs to jump right back in the game. Right fielder Matt Street led off the inning with a single, and the next batter, Ryan Zimmerman, jumped all over an 0-2 offering for a two-run home run. Zimmerman's third home run of the season pulled UVa within 5-3.

The Cavaliers scored another two runs in the inning to even the score at 5-5 through six complete. A single, hit-by-pitch and sacrifice bunt left runners on second and third with one out, and Pfinsgraff gave way to senior left-hander Chris Bowen. Pfinsgraff's final stat line was a solid 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 K.

With a pair of runners in scoring position, Bowen induced a flyball out to right fielder Truan Mehl. The sacrifice fly scored Sean Doolittle from third base. Mehl's throw home from right field was cut off by shortstop Dan Melvin and relayed to third base. Melvin's throw to third was errant and bounced off the wall in foul territory and back into play, forcing Brandon Guyer into a run-down after he left third base. Guyer slid into a tag by pitcher Chris Bowen at home plate, but a hard slide knocked the ball loose and scored the run.

With the game tied at 5-5 after six innings, both teams turned to accomplished and reliable left-handers down the stretch. The Atlantic Coast Conference's co-leader with five saves, Casey Lambert, entered the game for Virginia midway through the seventh inning and proceeded to throw 2.2 innings of hitless relief.

Bowen worked through the tough sixth and didn't give up a hit in the seventh or eighth innings. In the ninth, Bowen induced a groundout by catcher Scott Headd and jumped ahead of designated hitter, Ryan Hudson, with two quick strikes. But Hudson lifted an 0-2 offering into left field, and with the win blowing out, the pop fly just cleared the 352-foot left wall for a walk-off home run.

The teams will meet tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the final game of the conference series. Freshman right-hander Ryan Moorer (0-2, 6.00 ERA) will look to snap the Terps' three-game losing streak when he faces Virginia's Jeff Kamrath (3-2, 4.25 ERA).