May 11, 2008
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Eight University of Maryland baseball players played the last home games of their careers at Shipley Field Sunday as the Terps celebrated Senior Day in a game won by the 17th-ranked North Carolina Wolfpack, 17-8.
Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul's), Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic), Brad Taylor (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel), Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic), Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC), Mike Sufczynski (Darnestown, Md./St. John's), Brett Tidball (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep) and Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) were all honored in a pre-game ceremony with their parents.
Sufczynski started on the mound for the Terps (29-26, 9-21 ACC) and retired the first six batters he faced.
Junior Will Greenberg (Gaithersburg, Md./Washington College) hit a solo home run off NC State starter Alex Sogard in the second inning to put the Terps up 1-0.
However, the Wolfpack (35-16, 17-9 ACC) plated 10 runs combined in the next two innings to pull away for the victory.
Up 4-2 in the top of the sixth, the Wolfpack scored six runs after the first two batters of the inning were retired. Right fielder Jeremy Synan delivered the big blow with a three-run double off reliever Eric Potter (Odenton, Md./Arundel).
Trailing 14-2 after 5 ½ innings, the Terps rallied with six runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Second baseman Dan Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Nanticoke) had a two-run double and designated hitter Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Northwest) had an RBI double in the inning.
Unfortunately, State responded with three more runs in the top of the seventh and neither team scored again.
Tidball pitched a perfect ninth inning in the last home game of his career and every eligible senior besides the injured Braun and Biringer, who pitched yesterday, played in the game.
Greenberg went 4-for-5 for the Terps, the third four-hit game of his career, raising his season batting average to .308.
Every NC State starter had a hit in the game and Matt Payne, Synan, Marcus Jones and Ryan Pond all had three hits and at least two RBIs.
Sogard pitched five innings for NC State to earn his fourth win of the season. Sufczynski took the loss, falling to 2-2 this season.
The Terps finish the season at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Delaware, where they will attempt to win their 30th game of the season.
Maryland swept Delaware in a two-game midweek series earlier this year on March 11 and March 12.
-TERPS-
