March 6, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - On a windy afternoon at Shipley Field, Virginia Tech (6-3, 1-2 ACC) got the better end of a 13-12 slugfest to snap a three-game Maryland (6-4, 2-1 ACC) win streak and avoid a series sweep. The teams combined for 36 hits, including 15 for extra bases and six home runs, with a five-run eighth inning by Virginia Tech proving to be too much for the Terps to overcome. The Maryland offense had a season-high 23 hits in the loss, with seven Terps posting multi-hit games.

Truan Mehl set a new career-high, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, and Will Frazier tied career-highs with four hits and five RBI. All nine Maryland starters had base hits in the game, and eight of the nine scored at least one run. The 1-through-3 hitters, a group that includes Mehl, Frazier and Elliot Singletary, were a combined 12-for-16 with six RBI and seven runs scored to lead the Maryland offense.

Despite a 23 to 13 advantage in hits, Maryland could not overcome four unearned runs, four double plays and a big Virginia Tech eighth inning.

Virginia Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, using a hit and three Maryland errors to score a pair of runs off Terp starter Sean Kane (0-1, 15.63 ERA). Tech first baseman Chris Stanton started the inning with a walk, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Jose Rojas. Jose Cueto, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI and four runs, would score the next pitch on a throwing error by shortstop Dan Melvin.

The Terp offense responded in the bottom half of the inning, as each of the team's first four hitters reached base safely. Elliot Singletary and Truan Mehl each hit singles to right field, and Will Frazier scored Singletary from second base with a flare to right-center. Mehl would score on a wild pitch to Jordan Wilson to even the score at 2-2. A sacrifice bunt by Dan Melvin left runners on second and third with one out in the inning, but a pop-up and strikeout left the runners in scoring position.

Kane got into trouble again in the second, as two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. The Terp starter induced a double play ball from Chris Stanton, which scored a run, before giving up a two-run homer to Jose Cueto.

Down 5-2, Maryland again fought back to score two runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Terps would score two runs in each of the first three innings of the game and take a 6-5 lead after three complete. Truan Mehl scored Elliot Singletary with a line-drive triple to right field, and Will Frazier followed with an RBI double to center field. Frazier's double was the first of two extra-base hits on the day, moving him into fifth place on Maryland's career extra-base hits list.

In the third inning, Dan Melvin led off with a hard double to left field, and Jason Von Behren followed with a two-run home run - his first of the season. Von Behren swung a hot bat all series, going 5-for-11 with a home run and four RBI.

Jose Cueto tied the game back up at 6-6 in the fifth with his second home run of the game, a solo shot to center field. Two batters later, left fielder Billy Marn put the Hokies back in front, 7-6, with another solo home run off Terrapin reliever Seth Overbey.

Brian Jarosinski, who doubled twice and homered in the game, tied the game back up at 7-7 with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. The teams would trade runs in the seventh to enter the eighth inning deadlocked at 8-8.

A five-run eighth inning by Virginia Tech seemingly would seemingly put the game out of reach late, but the Terps came back with a four-run rally of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

Two of Tech's runs were unearned in the eighth, as the Hokies used three hits and an error to jump out to a five-run lead. Freshman right-hander Ryan Moorer (0-2, 6.75 ERA), who got tagged for the loss in the game, loaded the bases with a single, error and hit-by-pitch before giving way to Brett Cecil. With no outs, Tech rallied with a single, double and two sac flies to score five runs off the freshman relievers.

Joe Palumbo led off the Maryland eighth with a hit-by-pitch, and Elliot Singletary and Truan Mehl followed with back-to-back singles. A balk by Tech reliever Bobby West plated Palumbo, and Will Frazier brought the Terps within a run with a three-run blast to left-center field. Frazier had five RBI on the day to bring his season total to a team-high tying nine.

Down one run, the Terps threatened in the ninth. After Chad Durakis hit a hard groundout to short to start the inning, Brian Jarosinski laced a one-out double down the left field line. Nick Jowers pinch-ran for Jarosinski and moved to third on a groundout by pinch-hitter Matt Maropis. With two outs, Elliot Singletary hit a hard line drive, but it was right at Tech shortstop Warren Schaeffer to end the game.

Maryland took two out of three from Tech and moved to 6-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The team will have an off-day before playing a doubleheader with Maryland-Eastern Shore on Tuesday (4 p.m.). Next weekend, the Terps will get back to conference play with a three-game series at NC State. Live stats will be available for each of the Terps' next five games by logging on to www.umterps.com, and audio broadcasts will be available on both www.umterps.com and www.wmucsports.com.