April 13, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In a game that featured two lead changes and two ties in the final four innings, a two-out RBI single by Bobby Ryan in the bottom of the ninth gave Maryland baseball its first walk-off hit of the 2005 season. Ryan lined the first pitch of his at-bat past Mount shortstop Mike Gioiso to score Dan Melvin from second base and give the Terps a dramatic 5-4 win over Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday night.

Mount St. Mary's reliever Dustin Pease got the first two outs of the Maryland ninth in order, before Dan Melvin hit a line drive single into left-center field. Melvin then stole second, and, with a base open, Jordan Wilson was intentionally walked to set up Ryan's game-winning single.

Melvin and Will Frazier each had three hits to lead a Maryland offense that had eight players with at least one base hit in the game. Melvin scored two of the team's runs, including the game-winner in the ninth, and Truan Mehl hit his second home run of the season to tie the game up in the bottom of the seventh.

Four different Mount players drove in runs in the game, including designated hitter Stephan Fay, who connected on a solo home run in the top of the seventh. Right fielder Matt Eiden reached on a throwing error by Michael Meagher in the top of the ninth and came around to score the game-tying run on an RBI infield single by Danny Fowler.

Joe Palumbo got the Terps on the board in the second inning with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Dan Melvin started the inning with a bunt single down the first base line, and Jordan Wilson followed with a single up the middle. Mount starter got two quick outs, before Palumbo connected on his two-out, opposite-field single to score Melvin from second.

Palumbo again brought in a Maryland run in the fourth inning, this time on an RBI groundout to second base. Chad Durakis and Brian Jarosinski each hit doubles that center fielder Jim Serafin lost in the lights, leaving runners on second and third with one out for Palumbo. Palumbo worked a 2-2 count and fought a pitch to the right side of the infield to score Durakis from third and give Maryland a 2-0 lead through four innings.

Mount St. Mary's got to Maryland starter Mike Sufczynski in the top of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on three hits to tie the game up at 2-2. Sufczynski had cruised through five scoreless innings, facing just one batter over the minimum and allowing two singles. But a leadoff double by Danny Fowler and a bunt single by Justus Yocum left runners on first and third with no out in the Mount St. Mary's sixth. Joseph Hayes came through with one of his two hits in the game, driving in a run with a single through the right side. With runners on first and second, leadoff hitter Mike Gioioso sacrificed Hayes and Yocum to second and third. Catcher Adam Schlenoff scored Yocum with an RBI groundout to deep short for the Mount's second and final run of the inning.

Sufczynski gave way to Josh Andrews in the top of the seventh, and Stephan Fay greeted him immediately with a solo home run to center field. Andrews would settle down and get out of the inning with no more damage done, but not before Mount St. Mary's took its first lead of the game at 3-2.

The Terrapin offense responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Truan Mehl hit a solo home run to the Terp scoring started. Will Frazier followed Mehl's homer with a hard-hit double down the left field line, and Dan Melvin brought Frazier around with an RBI single up the middle. The two runs gave Maryland the lead back at 4-3, heading into the eighth inning.

Maryland's Justin Hulse and Mount St. Mary's Dustin Pease entered the game for both teams and worked scoreless eighth innings to set up the ninth inning dramatics.

Up 4-3, Maryland turned to closer Michael Meagher, who hadn't allowed a run all in his first five appearances of the season. Meagher struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches, but committed a throwing error on a bunt attempt by Matt Eiden that allowed Eiden to move to second base. A Joe Kotula groundout moved Eiden to third, and an infield single by Danny Fowler scored the unearned run and tie the game at 4-4.

In its final at-bat, Dan Melvin hit a two-out single, and then moved to second on a stolen base. Jordan Wilson was intentionally walked, and Bobby Ryan drilled a first-pitch offering into left field for the walk-off win.

The win snapped a four-game Maryland losing streak, as the team prepares for a three-game conference set at Duke this weekend. Chris Clem (1-5, 6.24 ERA) is expected to face Duke's Greg Burke (4-5, 5.59 ERA) in Friday's series opener. Live stats and live audio will be available for the entire series by logging on to www.umterps.com.