March 12, 2008
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
With the game tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Terps hitless for the last five innings, junior Will Greenberg gave the Maryland baseball team the boost it needed, blasting a two-out, two-run homer to put the Terps up for good Wednesday afternoon at Shipley Field.
With the 8-6 win against the Delaware Blue Hens (3-11, 0-3 CAA), Maryland (7-7, 0-3 ACC) evened its season record at .500 heading into this weekend's critical series at ACC foe Wake Forest.
The Terps scored four runs in non-traditional fashion in the bottom of the second inning.
With runners at second and third and no outs, sophomore AJ Casario (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) struck out swinging, but the ball got by Delaware catcher Chris Nehl. Nehl struggled to locate the ball and Gerry Spessard (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg) scored from third and Greenberg (Gaithersburg, Md./Washington College) scooted home all the way from second. Casario took second on the play.
Center fielder Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) followed Casario's at-bat with a sharp single through the left side of the infield. Jowers was then caught in a run-down between first and second. Casario attempted to score during the rundown, but was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning.
After Jowers, No. 9 hitter Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) hit a fly ball to deep right field. Delaware right fielder Scott Shockley appeared to have the ball tracked down on the warning track, but couldn't squeeze the ball in his glove. Shockley tried to snag the ball before it hit the ground, falling to the ground with it, but the umpire ruled he never caught it cleanly. Jowers scored on the error and Palumbo took third.
Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) singled home Palumbo for the fourth run of the inning.
Up 4-1, the Terps added two runs in the third on an RBI double by Greenberg and a sacrifice fly by Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep).
However, Delaware came right back the next half inning, putting together four runs with two outs.
Maryland starter Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) struck out two batters in the fourth, tying his career high with seven in the game at that point. However, Biringer also threw three wild pitches in the inning.
With one runner on and two outs, Delaware got an RBI double from Adam Tsakonas and an RBI single from All-American candidate Alex Buchholz. The Blue Hens got within one run, 6-5, with the next batter as designated hitter Bill Merkler hit a two-run homer to left-center field, cutting the Terps' lead to 6-5.
Delaware tied the game in the top of the seventh, but the damage could have been much worse if not for the work of closer Brad Taylor (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel). Head coach Terry Rupp decided to bring in Taylor in the seventh, sensing the game was at its turning point and Taylor made the decision pay off.
With one out and runners at first and second, Taylor relived Tim Kearney (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock). Taylor was greeted with the game-tying single from pinch hitter Pat Dameron, but then got out of the jam by inducing a 6-4-3, inning-ending double-play ball from Delaware leadoff hitter Kyle Davis.
Greenberg's home run in the seventh put the Terps ahead and Taylor finished the game, allowing no further runs to earn his first win of the season. Alex Dalsey, who allowed the home run to Greenberg was hit with the loss for the Blue Hens.
Greenberg went 4-for-7 in the two games against Delaware.
Biringer allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits while striking out seven in 3 2/3 innings of work. Junior Brett Jones (Dunkirk, Md./Southern) pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings of relief for the Terps.
Maryland is back in action this weekend at Wake Forest, beginning at 3 p.m. Friday.
-TERPS-
