March 5, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - For the second straight day, Maryland (6-3, 2-0 ACC) jumped out to an early lead only to see Virginia Tech (5-3, 0-2 ACC) battle back to tie the game up in the middle innings. And for the second straight day, Maryland had a late response, scoring four runs in the seventh inning of a tie game to beat Virginia Tech, 6-2 on Saturday. The Terps moved to 2-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with the win - their best start in the league in nearly 30 years.

Maryland clicked in all facets of the game, putting together its most well-rounded effort of the season. The offense left just two runners on base; the pitching staff gave up two earned runs, and the defense played nine errorless innings for the first time this season.

The Maryland offense made the most of its opportunities, scoring six runs on seven hits and leaving just two runners on base. Will Frazier hit his second home run of the season, and Jordan Wilson paced a balanced Maryland offense that had six players with hits, four with at least one RBI and five with runs scored.

Wilson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double, raising his team-high batting average to .464 for the season. The junior was again a force in the middle of the Terrapin lineup, hitting line drives to all parts of the field. Wilson led off each of the Maryland scoring innings, drilling a double off the left field wall in the third inning and lining a single to right-center field in the deciding seventh.

In the third, Will Frazier followed Wilson's long double with a two-run home run well over the left field wall. Frazier's second home run of the season gave Maryland and starter Ben Pfinsgraff a two-run lead through three full innings.

Those two runs looked like plenty for Pfinsgraff early, as he struck out six Hokies over his first four innings. But a sixth-inning rally by Tech tied the game up at 2-2, and Pfinsgraff left the game with a no-decision. He would finish the game with a final line of: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 7 K.

Chris Bowen (1-0, 1.23 ERA) relieved Pfinsgraff in the seventh and proceeded to retire the first four batters he faced. In three innings, Bowen gave up just one hit and no runs to pick up his first win of the season.

After Bowen entered the game, the Maryland offense erupted to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning. Wilson led off the inning with a hard single to right-center and was brought around by a passed ball and a single by Jason Von Behren. Two batters later, Joe Palumbo doubled down the right field line to score Von Behren, and a two-run single by Elliot Singletary gave the Terps a four-run lead after seven innings.

Virginia Tech wouldn't threaten again and fell for the second straight day. Coming into the weekend series, the Hokies had won five straight games.

The Terps will look for the sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. when Sean Kane (0-1, 16.62 ERA) faces Tech's Jake Chaney (2-0, 4.32 ERA). A conference series sweep would be the first for Maryland since a May 2002 sweep of NC State.

NOTES
Maryland center fielder Justin Maxwell has a broken bone in his left hand and is visiting with a hand specialist in Baltimore this weekend ... no timetable has been given for his return ... after a second-inning error by pitcher Chris Clem, the Maryland defense has played 16 straight errorless innings against Virginia Tech ... Jason Von Behren had at least one RBI for the third time in four games ... After Jordan Wilson (.464) and Justin Maxwell (.455), no Terp hitter is over the .300 mark this season, but six are above .270.