Feb. 23, 2008
Box Score
CONWAY, S.C. -
The Pittsburgh Panthers hit three solo home runs in the first four at-bats of the game, but the Terps fought back for a 10-5 victory, earning a split of two Saturday games in the IMIChotels.com INN-vitational at Coastal Carolina University.
Maryland starting pitcher Ian Schwalenberg (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) got off to a shaky start, allowing solo home runs to the first two Panthers hitters of the ballgame and then another to No. 4 hitter Dan Williams to fall behind 3-0 after the top of the first.
The Terps (1-1) fell behind 4-0 in the third before Schwalenberg settled down. Maryland got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha) and a passed ball that allowed Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep) to score all the way from second base.
A Dan Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Nanticoke) RBI double in the fifth cut the deficit to 4-3 and then the Terps finally pulled ahead in the sixth. Murphy and Jowers walked to lead off the sixth and sophomore AJ Casario (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) sacrificed them to second and third. Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Montgomery College) followed with a pinch-hit, two-run double off the left-field wall to put the Terps up 5-4. Senior Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) made it 6-4 with an RBI double into the right-center field gap.
Catcher Will Greenberg (Gaithersburg, Md./Washington College) added two insurance runs in the seventh, crushing a two-run homer to right-center off Pitt reliever Corey Baker.
Senior Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) earned the win in relief, pitching four innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out three. Schwalenberg pitched five innings, striking out a career-high five batters.
The Panthers (0-2) had the tying run on deck in a ninth-inning rally, but senior Brett Tidball (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep) came out of the bullpen to record the final out and earn his first career save.
Senior Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Pauls) broke the school's all-time hit by pitch record, getting hit by two pitches in the game and three on the day. Durakis has now been hit by 37 pitches in his career. Durakis will move into the top 20 in NCAA history if he gets hit by nine more pitches this season. Durakis also added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth and reached base on all five plate appearances.
The Terps finish the road trip at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon against Coastal Carolina. Pupa is scheduled to start on the mound for Maryland.
-TERPS-
