May 9, 2006

Box Score

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - Dan Benick went 3-for-4 with his third home run in five games and Matt Maropis and Nick Jowers combined to record three crucial outfield assists as the Maryland Terrapins (23-30) out-slugged West Virginia, 11-9, on Tuesday night at Hawley Field.

Seth Overbey (4-2) notched the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in a career-high 4.1 innings out of the bullpen. Closer Brett Cecil tossed 1.2 innings to earn his 12th save of the year while nursing a sore left hamstring. Kevin Korzun (0-1) was charged with the loss after watching the winning runs cross in the top of eigth.

The Terps took the first lead of the day in the top of the second. Following consecutive walks to Jordan Wilson and Mike Murphy, the leftfielder Benick lined a single to right to load the bases for Steve Braun. The shortstop brought in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center and Murphy would come home when the throw in skipped into the Maryland dugout. With two down and Jowers up to bat, WVU catcher David Carpenter caught Benick leaning too far off third to end the inning as the Mountaineers escaped without any more damage.

Carpenter would further frustrate the Terps in the bottom half of the frame, putting his squad on the scoreboard with a solo homer to center. WVU tied things up when Adam White tripled to center with two outs and scored on a Tyler Kuhn single.

Maryland resorted to both "small ball" and the long ball to regain the lead in the third. After Jowers started the inning with a double off the wall, Maropis moved the sophomore over to third on a sharp groundout to second. With one gone, Dan Melvin hit another grounder to the right side, plating Jowers to put the Terps ahead, 3-2. Catcher Chad Durakis then jacked a 2-2 delivery from Brendan Bergerson over the fence in left-center to give the team a two-run advantage.

After the Mountaineers closed the gap to one on an RBI base hit by Casey Bowling in the third, the Terps stretched the lead to three in the top of the fourth. Following a walk to Wilson, West Virginia brought Joe Stupka out of the bullpen to face Murphy. After the freshman bunted Wilson into scoring position, Benick belted a two-run homer off the righty to make it 6-3, Maryland.

Overbey then came on in relief of starter Casey Baron, who injured himself warming up in the middle of the fourth, and gave up two quick runs to the `Neers. Designated hitter Michael Burger scored from third on a groundout to short by Kuhn and White was allowed in following a two-out error by Murphy to cut the deficit to a single run.

An RBI groundout by Jowers in the sixth made it 7-5, Maryland before Benick scored from third on a wild pitch to bump the lead back to back to three runs.

But, again, West Virginia had an answer. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Kuhn doubled and moved to third on a single by Doug Nelms. Third baseman Justin Jenkins then chopped a base hit over the head of first baseman Gerry Spessard to pull the lead back down to two. Maropis would throw Nelms out at third trying to advance on the play before Stan Posluszny flied out to end the inning.

The Mountaineers pulled even in the seventh. Following a hit-by-pitch and back-to-back base hits for WVU, Overbey walked in one run before White tied the game on a sacrifice fly to center. Kuhn threatened to give the Mountaineers their first lead of the night on a single to center, but Jowers nailed Carpenter at the plate trying to score from second.

In the eighth, Murphy hustled out a leadoff double and moved to third on a Benick sacrifice bunt before Braun plated the go-ahead run on a single. Jowers followed with an RBI triple before Maropis made it 11-8 on a double to right to welcome the new pitcher Korzun.

West Virginia loaded the bases with one out against Cecil in the bottom of the inning. Posluszny scored on a fielder's choice before Burger flied out to right. But Maropis gunned down the man trying to tag from third on the play, completing the inning-ending double play as the Terp lead stayed at two.

Cecil worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 14th career save, leaving him just one shy of tying the school's all-time record with three games left in 2006.

Next up, Maryland will take part in a doubleheader on Wednesday evening against UMES. Action is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m.