April 22, 2007
Box Score
DURHAM, N.C. - The Maryland baseball team was unable to overcome a three-run second inning by the Duke Blue Devils as the Terrapins fell 4-2 in the series finale at Jack Coombs Field Sunday afternoon. Duke (25-17, 6-15 ACC) earned the series win after taking the final two games of the weekend over Maryland (23-20, 7-14), which lost its fourth-straight Atlantic Coast Conference series.
Duke starter Andrew Wolcott (4-3) earned the victory after pitching six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out a career-high nine batters. For the Terps, starter Kevin Biringer (3-8) dropped the decision, allowing all four runs (three earned) in 4.1 innings of work. Michael Seander pitched the final three innings in a perfect outing to earn his eighth save.
Duke's offense was led by Jonathan Anderson, Brett Bartles and Gabriel Saade, who each poured in a pair of hits. For the Terps, five different batters notched hits, while freshman AJ Casario and sophomore Dan Benick each recorded an RBI.
Biringer retired the Devils in order in the first inning, but allowed Duke to take a 3-0 lead with a pair of home runs, a triple, and a double in the second. First baseman Nate Freiman blasted a leadoff home run to left field, and Bartles repeated the feat in the very next at-bat. Alex Hassan then tripled to right field, and scored on a Saade double. Saade was tagged out at third, though, and was followed by a line out to first baseman Gerry Spessard to end the inning.
Maryland scored their first run of the day in the next inning, when Benick's bases-loaded fielder's choice scored sophomore Wink Nolan. The Terps narrowly missed another run in the previous play, as Casario was called out at home.
The Devils responded with another run in the bottom of the third, as a fielding error by Spessard allowed Jimmy Gallagher to score with two outs.
In the fourth inning, Casario's sacrifice fly scored catcher Chad Durakis, who singled to reach base.
From there, the pitchers took over, as no further runs scored. Relievers Brad Taylor and Brett Cecil combined for 3.2 innings of shutout baseball, while Wolcott and Seander combined to allow just one additional hit following the fourth inning.
Maryland will face West Virginia in its next contest, with first pitch from Hawley Field in Morgantown set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Following that game, the Terps hit the road again, traveling to rival Virginia for a three-game weekend series.
