Maryland
GEORGE WASHINGTON
Terps Rout George Washington, 12-3
5/3/2006 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 3, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Shortstop Steve Braun went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs and rightfielder Matt Maropis finished a single short of the cycle as the Maryland Terrapins (21-28) crushed George Washington, 12-3, at Shipley Field on Wednesday night. Five Terps had multi-hit efforts and six players drove in runs as Maryland moved to 10-0 in non-conference home games on the year.
Coming off a weekend in which the team endured two shutouts at the plate at the hands of No. 13 Virginia, the Terp offense exploded against GW, collecting 15 hits (one short of its season high), including nine for extra bases. With a home run, triple and double, Maropis, who also scored twice and drove in a pair, ended the evening one base hit shy of hitting for the cycle. Dan Benick went 2-for-2 with a double and a grand slam for the Terps while Dan Melvin and Mike Murphy each picked up a pair of hits, as well. Every position player that was eligible (those not scheduled to take a redshirt season) saw action for head coach Terry Rupp's Terps.
On the mound, freshman John Dischert (4-3) earned the win in relief, coming on for starter Ryan Moorer to start the fourth and tossing two effective innings while the Maryland lead ballooned. For George Washington, righty Justin Prinstein (1-1) was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits over five innings in a losing effort.
Maryland took an early lead over the Colonials in the second inning. With two down, Murphy hit a stand-up double to left and Nick Jowers drew a walk before Braun brought them both in on a double to left-center to make it 2-0.
GW made a bid to cut into the lead during their next at-bat. With a man on third base, shortstop Mickey Shupin sent a sharp line drive towards right field. But Melvin leaped in the air and made the grab for the final out as the Colonials remained scoreless.
Maropis would help double the Terrapin lead over the next two innings. Leading off the top of the third, the senior teed off on a Prinstein pitch, depositing the ball on top of the batting cages behind the fence in left to give the Terps a three-run advantage. Then, in the fourth, he knocked in Joe Palumbo on a triple down the right field line and came home on a Melvin sacrifice fly, making it a 5-0 ballgame.
Four straight Terp hits with two down in the fifth caused the lead to jump to eight runs. After Murphy singled, Jowers and Braun each followed with RBI doubles before Palumbo brought the final run of the inning home on a base hit up the middle to bump the Maryland advantage to 8-0.
The Terps bats were not finished, though, as they added four more in the bottom of the sixth. Melvin singled, first baseman Gerry Spessard walked and designated hitter Jason Von Behren was beaned, bringing Benick to the plate as a pinch hitter to face reliever Jim Duggan. On the first pitch he saw, the freshman from Nanticoke, Pa. slugged a grand slam to dead center for his first career home run, putting the Terps ahead by 12.
George Washington would eventually break up the shutout in the top of the eighth against Joe Zaccaria. Second baseman Michael Parker scored on a sacrifice fly after leading off with a triple and Matt Owens smacked a two-run homer to bring the score to 12-3.
Right-hander Brad Taylor retired the side in order in the top of the ninth to clinch Maryland's 13th consecutive non-conference victory in College Park dating back to last year.
The Terps will look to ride the momentum from their offensive outburst against the Colonials into the weekend, when they travel to Boston College for a three-game set. Game times are set for 2:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
