March 17, 2006

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Brett Tidball threw seven scoreless innings of relief and a seven-run sixth inning boosted the Maryland Terrapins (8-11, 3-4 ACC) to a 15-8 victory over No. 3 North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on Friday.

Making just his second appearance out of the bullpen all season, Tidball (2-4) came in with a one-run deficit in the third inning and shut the potent Tar Heel offense down, striking out a career-best eight batters while allowing just two hits. Meanwhile, the Maryland bats dominated UNC starter Daniel Bard (3-1), tagging him for 10 runs and 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work and sending him away with his first loss of the year. The Terps posted season highs with 15 runs and 16 hits on the day as they earned their first win over a top-five team since May 1 of last season when they defeated No. 4 Miami, 11-9.

Dan Melvin and Wink Nolan each had three hits and Jordan Wilson and Mike Murphy tallied four RBI apiece for the Terps, who have scored 27 runs in their last two games.

The Maryland offense attacked Bard right from the start. In the top of the first, second baseman Melvin singled up the middle and moved to third on a base hit by catcher Chad Durakis, who extended his hit streak to seven games. Batting with two strikes, the designated hitter Wilson smashed a triple that hopped right over first base and ended up in the right field corner, bringing in both runners to give Maryland an early 2-0 advantage. For Wilson, a 6-4, 205-pound fifth-year senior, it was the first triple of his career.

But North Carolina would waste no time snatching the lead away from the Terps, scoring six runs off Ben Pfinsgraff in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff man Reid Fronk walked and, after a strikeout by designated hitter Kyle Shelton, leftfielder Jay Cox hit a two-run home run to center to tie the game at two apiece. First baseman Chad Flack singled and Josh Horton and Tim Federowicz recorded back-to-back doubles, making it a 4-0 ballgame with only one down. Carolina would add two more runs on a two-run homer by centerfielder Seth Williams to give the Tar Heels a four-run advantage early on.

Maryland began to cut into the UNC lead in the second when shortstop Steve Braun singled and scored after an error by the centerfielder on a base hit by Nolan. But the Tar Heels grabbed the run back in the bottom of the inning as Shelton hit a lead off homer to left to bring the score to 7-3.

In the third, the Terps loaded the bases with none down against Bard. Melvin led off with a single to left and Durakis and Wilson each walked to bring up third baseman Murphy with the bags packed. The freshman drove a 1-2 offering to right-center that cleared the fence just over the NC logo on the wall to tie the game up at seven. Murphy became the first Terp to hit a grand slam since Anthony Buffone did it against UMBC on March 10, 2004.

After UNC's Matt Spencer homered off Pfinsgraff to lead off the bottom of the third, Maryland called in southpaw Brett Tidball to neutralize an advantage for a Carolina batting order that featured four quality left-handed hitters. The move proved to be wise, as the sophomore allowed just two runners passed first base in the longest outing of his career.

Down by one heading into the sixth, the Terps made their move. Centerfielder Nick Jowers and Nolan began the inning with consecutive infield singles and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Maropis. Bard then beaned first baseman Gerry Spessard to load the bases, causing the Tar Heels to bring in reliever Matt Danford.

Melvin singled to left off the new pitcher to tie the game and Durakis drove in the go-ahead run on a line drive to right to give Maryland its first lead since the top of the first. With the bases still loaded, Wilson stepped up and drove another ball to the corner in right, scoring two runs and winding up on second with a double as the Terps went up 11-8 and ended Danford's day before he could record a single out. Braun plated Wilson on a single to right off right-hander Jonathan Hovis and Nolan drove in two more on a base-hit to right, capping a seven-run sixth inning for the Terps, who opened up a commanding 14-8 lead.

Tidball would make sure there would be no rally for the Tar Heels, finishing the game on the hill for the Terps.