April 1, 2006
Final Stats
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland Terrapins are making a habit of knocking off the nation's best. Ben Pfinsgraff threw six strong innings and Brett Cecil came on for a three-inning save as the Terps (12-17, 5-9 ACC) took down No. 3 Georgia Tech, 6-3, on Saturday night at Shipley Field. For Pfinsgraff, it marked the second straight time that he has beaten Tech, including 2005, when he defeated the top-ranked Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.
Jordan Wilson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and Dan Melvin had a pair of hits and scored twice for Maryland, which defeated its fourth different ranked opponent of the season. Pfinsgraff (2-3) gave up three runs on eight hits, while striking out a season-best seven hitters before handing the ball to closer Cecil to shut the door on Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are the latest ranked foe to fall victim to the Terps this year. Over the past three weeks, Maryland has also beaten No. 3 North Carolina and No. 25 James Madison on the road and No. 14 Miami at Shipley.
Georgia Tech opened the scoring in the second, patching together a run off Pfinsgraff. Jeff Kindel blooped a double in between left fielder and Matt Maropis and third baseman Mike Murphy and moved to third on an infield single by Wally Crancer. Second baseman Mike Trapani drove in the run on a single to right to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, 1-0.
Maryland surged back in the bottom the inning, scoring four times to take the lead. Melvin led off with an infield single and then scored on a double off the wall in left by Murphy. A single by catcher Chad Durakis put runners on the corners with none away for the designated hitter Wilson. On the first pitch he saw, the senior drove a fastball from starter David Duncan to left, plating Murphy and giving Maryland the lead. Durakis came home on a passed ball and Maropis knocked Wilson in on a line drive to left, making it 4-1, Terps.
The Yellow Jackets closed the gap to two when Crancer scored on a groundout in the top of the fourth and then drew within one on a leadoff homer by Wes Hodges to start the fifth inning. But that would be all the Terp pitching staff would yield, as Cecil entered in the seventh and struck out four over three shutout innings to earn his sixth save.
The Terps picked up some insurance for their closer in the bottom of the eighth. Steve Braun doubled to center with one away and, following a Melvin single and walk by Murphy, Maryland had the bases loaded against Georgia Tech's Brad Rulon. Durakis knocked in the first run on a fielder's choice to short and Wilson made it 6-3 on an RBI-single to center.
The Terps and Yellow Jackets will meet Sunday to decide the series with first pitch scheduled for noon.
