April 6, 2007
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland baseball team opened a three-run lead early but Wake Forest scored six unanswered runs as the Demon Deacons took an 8-5 victory Friday at Shipley Field in the two teams' series opener. Wake Forest (16-16, 5-8 ACC) capitalized on an Andy Goff three-run home run in the fourth inning and never looked back as Maryland (19-13, 5-8 ACC) dropped their fifth straight conference match-up.
Wake Forest starter Brad Kledzik (3-2) pitched six innings, allowing five runs on six hits to pick up the win. Senior Casey Baron (3-2) took the loss despite an impressive 11-strikeout performance. The lefthander tossed six innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits. Josh Ellis notched his fourth save of the year after 1.1 perfect innings.
Goff, along with outfielder Ben Terry's 4-for-4 performance at the plate, powered the Deacons offense, which out-hit Maryland by a 10-6 margin. For the Terps, six players each recorded a hit, led by Gerry Spessard's two-RBI double in the first inning.
Maryland opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first inning, when Mike Murphy singled up the middle to score leadoff hitter Joe Palumbo. Two batters later, Spessard drove a double to right center to score Murphy and AJ Casario, who singled in the second Maryland at-bat.
In the top of the third, Wake Forest notched two runs as Allan Dykstra doubled down the right field line to score Terry and Brad Rosaia, who struck out swinging but reached base on a passed ball.
The Terps responded right back in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own. Dan Melvin doubled to bring home Casario, who walked to lead off the inning. Melvin then scored on a two-base wild pitch by Kledzik, giving Maryland a 5-2 advantage.
In the fourth, though, Goff's home run punctuated a four-run inning, initiated by Terry's RBI single through the right side of the infield, as the Deacons took their first lead of the day, 6-5.
Wake Forest added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning off of reliever Brett Jones, as Tyler Smith hit an RBI single. Pinch hitter Nathan Frazier later drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the eighth Deacon run.
The Terps will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. when they face the Demon Deacons at Shipley Field. With inclement weather forecast for the College Park area in the morning, any game time changes will be posted on the official Maryland athletics website, http://www.umterps.com.
