Feb. 10, 2006
Final Stats
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The Maryland baseball team fell to East Carolina, 6-1, in the season opener for both teams on Friday. The Terps, who were down by one run in the fourth inning, left seven runners on base on the afternoon.
ECU starting pitcher T.J. Hose struck out eight and walked one to earn the victory. He surrendered just one run in 6.0 innings of work. For Maryland, Ben Pfinsgraff went 4.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, picking up the loss. After giving up a pair of runs in the first two innings, he held ECU scoreless in the third and fourth.
Down 2-0 in the fourth, the Terps scored to cut the deficit in half. After a leadoff walk by third baseman Dan Melvin, catcher Chad Durakis smacked a double to right-center, just passed a diving Harrison Eldridge. Melvin scored on the play, putting the Terps on the board for the first time.
Maryland prevented the Pirates from adding to their lead in the fourth. With runners on second and third and two outs, shortstop Dale Mollenhauer drove an offering from Pfinsgraff to left field. But senior Brian Jarosinski hustled in to make the sliding catch and end the threat.
In the top of the fifth, Maryland put runners on second and third with no outs. First baseman Jason Von Behren reached on an infield single then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error by ECU catcher Jake Smith. After Palumbo hustled around to second on the play, the Terps had a pair of runners in scoring position with the top of their lineup coming up. But Hose fanned the next three in order and escaped the inning without any damage.
The Pirates proceeded to strike again in their half of the fifth, scoring three runs to push the lead to 5-1. Pfinsgraff hit right fielder Harrison Eldridge to start the inning, then surrendered a two-run blast to Smith. After a double by ECU's Adam Witter, Pfinsgraff retired the next two hitters before being relieved by senior Seth Overbey. But Overbey was unable to get out of the inning unscathed, allowing the inherited runner to come in to score on a single up the middle by left fielder Stephen Batts.
For the Terps, freshman Dan Benick recorded his first career hit in the second inning. In his first collegiate plate appearance, Benick hit an infield single to the left side. He wound up making it to second base on a wild pitch, though was not able to score.
In the first inning, sophomore Steve Braun just missed a lead off home run in his first at-bat as a Terp. After working the count full, the shortstop put a charge into one to deep left field. But Batts leaped up at the fence and pulled the ball back into the park, robbing Braun of a homer.
