April 23, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland baseball won its second straight extra-inning game, overcoming a three-run fifth-inning deficit to beat Wake Forest, 5-4, in 10 innings on Friday night. Brian Jarosinski delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead Maryland to its fourth win in five games, and Truan Mehl had four hits and scored three of the team's five runs. Mehl led off the Terps' final three scoring innings with base hits and came around to score the game-winner on Jarosinski's RBI single.

The Terps won their second straight game after trailing through seven innings, after starting the season 0-17 when behind after seven. Three of Maryland's last four wins have come in its final at-bat, including the last two in extra innings.

Chad Durakis got the Terps on the board in the fifth inning with his first career home run. Both Durakis and Jarosinski finished the game with two RBI apiece, and Jordan Wilson had two hits and an RBI groundout. The team improved to 11-4 this season when Wilson has at least one RBI.

Michael Meagher pitched two hitless innings to earn his second win of the season, as Maryland was able to get a win despite 11 walks and two hit by pitches. Starter Chris Bowen worked his way through 5.2 innings, giving up just four hits, but walking seven batters and giving up a three-run home run to J.B. Tucker.

After Maryland starter Chris Bowen worked a scoreless first, the Terrapin offense threatened in the bottom half of the inning. Elliot Singletary started things off with his team-leading 17th double of the season, and Truan Mehl followed with a well-placed bunt single down the third base line. With runners on first and third base, Will Frazier hit a fly ball to left field which was caught by Brett Linnenkohl. Linnenkohl's throw home was cut off by third baseman Matt Antonelli, who fired to Brendan Enick at first base to get Truan Mehl in a run-down between first and second base. Antonelli made the putout on Mehl for the second out of the inning, and Wake appealed to third base thinking that Singletary left early. Third base umpire Randy Watkins called Singletary out for the third out of the inning and an unconventional triple play.

Both starters kept the game scoreless through four innings, before Wake Forest struck first in the top of the fifth.

Brett Linnenkohl drew a leadoff walk, and then moved to third on a double by Matt Antonelli. Chris Bowen struck out Ben Ingold for the first out of the inning, but catcher J.B. Tucker lined the first pitch he saw from Bowen well over the center field fence for a three-run home run. Tucker's 10th run of the season gave the Demon Deacons a quick 3-0 lead and snapped Bowen's streak of 15 straight innings without allowing an earned run at home.

In the Terps' half of the fifth, Dan Melvin led off with a double down the left field line, and then Chad Durakis put Maryland right back in the game with his first career home run. Durakis' blast came on a 1-2 pitch from Josh Ellis and extended his current hit streak to a team-best eight games.

Chris Bowen got the first two outs of the Wake Forest sixth, but gave up a walk and a single to put runners on first and second with two outs. With right-hander J.B. Tucker due up, Bowen was pulled in favor of Seth Overbey. Overbey walked Tucker, but came back and got a big groundball out from Brendan Enick to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Truan Mehl led things off with a single through the right side of the infield. Will Frazier was hit by a pitch for the fifth time in four games, and a successful double steal put runners on second and third with one out. Brian Jarosinski came through with one of his three hits in the game, a double into left field that scored Mehl from third base.

In the top of the seventh, Terrapin reliever Justin Hulse loaded the bases with a leadoff single and two hit batsmen. Brett Linnenkohl plated a run with a sacrifice fly to left field, but Hulse limited the damage by inducing a groundball out by Matt Antonelli to end the inning.

The Maryland bats again came back with a key run to tie the game at 4-4 through eight innings. Truan Mehl led off the bottom of the eighth with a single through the left side of the infield, and then moved to third on an errant pickoff throw by Tim Morley. Jordan Wilson hit a chopper just past Morley that Antonelli charged, fielded and beat Wilson by half a step at first base, but Mehl scored on the play to pull the Terps into a 4-4 tie.

Michael Meagher relieved Hulse in the ninth and didn't allow a hit over the next two innings. Two Demon Deacons reached base, but Meagher left the two men on base with scoreless ninth and 10th innings.

In the 10th, Mehl hit an opposite field line drive off the top off the extended fence in left field, legging it out for a leadoff double. Will Frazier was intentionally walked, and Jordan Wilson followed with infield single to load the bases with no outs for Brian Jarosinski. Wake made a pitching change to left-hander Eric Niesen and brought the infield in to cut off the run at home plate. Jarosinski worked a 2-2 count from Niesen before lining a fastball through the left side of the infield for a walk-off single.

The teams will play the second of a three-game set tomorrow at 1 p.m. with Ben Pfinsgraff set to face Wake's Charlie Mellies. The game will be televised by Fox Sports and will air live locally on Comcast Sports Net.