March 27, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - With inclement weather on the horizon, Maryland and Clemson hooked up for a twi-night doubleheader on Saturday. Clemson got the better end of both games, recording 6-4 and 12-0 wins to complete a three-game series sweep. The day started with a 13-inning thriller and ended with a 17-hit Clemson outburst, as Maryland fell to 11-14 on the season and 3-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Will Frazier led the Maryland offense with five hits in the two games, including his fifth home run of the season in the first game. Frazier extended a hit streak to six games and raised his batting average to .270 for the season - its highest point since the final game of the Virginia Tech series (.282 - 3/6). Truan Mehl and Chad Durakis each had hits in both games to extend current hitting streaks. Mehl extended his to a team-best 11 games, and Durakis has now hit safely in nine straight.

Ben Pfinsgraff got a no-decision in the first game of the day, going 6.1 innings and giving up two earned runs. He struck out four, walked one and gave up just five hits in the extra inning affair. Chris Bowen threw the final 5.0 innings of the game and got the loss, despite not giving up any earned runs (two unearned runs). For the year, Bowen and Pfinsgraff are among Terp pitching leaders with respective 0.93 and 2.95 ERAs.

CLEMSON POUNCES ON MARYLAND BASEBALL IN GAME TWO

The Clemson bats connected for 17 hits and 12 runs, including an eight-run third that put the game away early, and Clemson came away with a doubleheader and series sweeps over Maryland in College Park. Second baseman Taylor Harbin and first baseman Andy D'Alessio each homered and drove in three runs to lead the Clemson offense, and a combined six Tigers had two hits in the lopsided win.

Chad Durakis, Will Frazier, Truan Mehl and Jordan Wilson each had a hit in the game for Maryland, as the offense struggled to get going against Clemson starter, Robert Rohrbaugh. Rohrbaugh, a tall, well-built left-hander, mixed quality off-speed pitches with a good fastball to keep Terp hitters off-balanced on his way to 7.0 shutout innings. Rohrbaugh gave up just three hits and two walks and struck out nine to move to 2-2 on the season.

Freshman right-hander Ryan Moorer got roughed up to the tune of 12 hits and 10 runs in 3.0 innings to get the loss. The Terrapin bullpen threw 6.0 solid innings in relief of Moorer, giving up just two runs on five hits the rest of the way.

Josh Andrews bounced back from a rocky outing against Duquesne, giving up one hit and striking out two in 2.0 scoreless innings, and Brad Taylor struck out all three batters he faced in lowering his season ERA to 2.92. Michael Meagher worked his second scoreless innings of the week, closing out the game with a one-hit ninth.

The Terps will be back in action this week Tuesday, March 29 against UMBC and Wednesday, March 30 against Temple, before heading to Atlanta, Ga. for three games against Georgia Tech.

TIGERS OUTLAST TERP BASEBALL IN GAME ONE

Bowen gave the Terps a chance to come away with a win in Game One, but a pair of errors in the 13th inning led to two unearned runs and a 6-4 Clemson win. In the bottom of the 10th, a Dan Melvin liner with the bases loaded looked to be heading into right field, but Ben Hall, a late replacement at second base, made a jumping grab to end the inning.

Clemson reliever Stephen Faris, one of the top relievers in the ACC so far this season, gave up just two hits and no runs over 6.0 strong innings to come away with the decision.

Maryland took an early lead with its second three-run inning of the series. Elliot Singletary got things started with a double off the left field wall, and Truan Mehl scored him from third base with a single up the middle. For Singletary, it was his 11th consecutive hit for extra bases, and for Mehl, his single extended a current hit streak to 11 games. Will Frazier and Jordan Wilson each followed with singles to load the bases, and each moved up a base on a wild pitch by Clemson starter Kris Harvey. Mehl scored on the play, and Chad Durakis plated Frazier with a sacrifice fly to right field. Frazier got the better end of a collision with catcher Adrian Casanova and scored Maryland's third and final run of the inning.

Clemson answered back with an unearned run in the top of the third, and a fourth inning home run to center field by third baseman Herman Demmink brought the Tigers within a run at 3-2.

The Tigers tied the game up at 3-3 in the top of the seventh, turning a leadoff single into their third run of the game. Shortstop Stan Widmann reached on a single to center field, moved to second and third on a pair of sacrifice bunts and then scored on a wild pitch by reliever Brett Cecil.

In the seventh inning, Will Frazier put the Terps back on top with a solo home run over the left center field wall. Frazier's team-leading fifth home run of the season gave him 29 for his career, tying him for fifth on the school's career list.

Stephen Faris and Chris Bowen went nose to nose over the next five innings, keeping the game tied up at 4-4 with scoreless innings of work. But Clemson broke through first, capitalizing on a pair of Maryland errors and scoring two runs in the top of the 13th inning. Maryland couldn't generate a response in the bottom half of the inning, falling by a score of 6-4.