March 9, 2007
Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Maryland baseball team jumped out to an early five-run lead and never looked back as it outlasted North Carolina State Friday, 6-3. On a sun-drenched afternoon at Doak Field, the Terrapins (10-3, 1-0) earned their sixth win in seven games in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack (11-5, 0-1) fell despite a complete game by starter Andrew Brackman (3-1), who took the loss.
For the Terrapins, senior Casey Baron (3-0) earned the victory after a strong outing, as he allowed no earned runs on just four hits in six and two-thirds innings. Junior Brett Cecil pitched 1.2 innings to pick up his fourth save of the season. Maryland's victory was its first in an ACC opener since 2005, the same season in which it picked up its last victory over NC State.
The first two innings breezed by as neither starting pitcher allowed a hit, but the Terrapin bats came alive in the top half of the third as Maryland put a five-spot on the scoreboard. Sophomore Dan Benick led off with a single up the middle, and was quickly followed by sophomore Wink Nolan's base hit to left field. Junior Steve Braun loaded the bases when he reached on a fielder's choice, as Brackman fielded Braun's bunt but failed to throw out the lead runner at third base.
Left fielder Joe Palumbo opened the scoring with his RBI single to right field. The bases-loaded scoring continued in the very next at-bat, when freshman AJ Casario dropped a bloop single into shallow left field and advanced on a fielding error by left fielder Matt Payne. That play scored Braun and Nolan. Senior Dan Melvin notched his eighth RBI of the season as he reached by error, while sophomore Gerry Spessard's groundout scored Casario from third base to give the Terps a 5-0 advantage.
Brackman recovered from his rough third inning and pitched effectively for the remaining six innings. The preseason All-American did not allow another hit until the ninth inning, when Nolan hit an RBI single off of Brackman's glove to score Benick for the insurance run.
NC State mounted a strong comeback late in the game, as it cut the deficit to 6-2 on Joe Florio's two-RBI pinch-hit single in the seventh inning. The next inning, Marcus Jones singled past the shortstop Melvin for the Wolfpack's third run of the game, scoring Jeremy Synan from third base.
Cecil, a preseason All-American as well, entered in the eighth inning and survived NC State's late offensive surge, allowing no runs on just two hits.
The Terrapins will look for their fourth series win of the year tomorrow when junior right-hander Ryan Moorer takes the mound against the Wolfpack. First pitch from Doak Field is set for 2 p.m.
