Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. - Junior Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Montgomery College) pitched well in his first Division-I collegiate start, allowing no earned runs in a 5-3 Maryland loss at Coastal Carolina Sunday afternoon.

Pupa allowed four unearned runs in five innings, striking out three batters. With two on and two outs in the bottom of the first, Coastal's Tommy Baldridge hit a ground ball to the left of Terps second baseman Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha). Palumbo fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw to first was low, evading first baseman Dan Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Nanticoke), allowing a run to score. On the very next pitch, Coastal Carolina catcher Dock Doyle made the Terps pay for the error, drilling a two-run homer to right-center field. The Chanticleers (2-0) added another run in the inning. However, Pupa rebounded nicely, keeping Maryland (1-2) in the game, retiring 12 of the last 14 batters he faced.

The Terps got to as close as one. Junior Gerry Spessard (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg) hit a solo home run to right field in the top of the fourth and junior Mike Moss (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) hit a pinch-hit, two-run blast to right field off Jeremiah Meiners in the top of the seventh, an opposite-field shot. Back-to-back hits by Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) and Nick Jowers (Bowie, Md./DeMatha) gave the Terps an opportunity to take the lead, but Palumbo flied out to end the inning.

Maryland drew no closer and the Chants added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Jowers nearly tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a man on and two outs, but his deep drive to right field was caught at the wall by right fielder Scott Woodward to end the game.

Spessard had two extra-base hits in the game, adding a double to his home run.

The Terps are back in action for their home opener at Shipley Field Tuesday against Towson at 2 p.m.

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