May 3, 2008
Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -
The University of Maryland baseball team dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader at Boston College, completing a three-game sweep for the Eagles and putting a serious damper on the Terrapins' ACC Tournament hopes.
The Terps (26-24, 8-19 ACC) lost 5-4 in 10 innings in game No. 1 and 7-5 in the second game.
The Terps took their first lead of the series in the second inning of the first game.
AJ Casario (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) doubled down the left-field line with one out and Dan Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Nanticoke) brought him home with a single up the middle.
Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) extended the lead to 3-0 a batter later with a two-run homer down the right-field line, his second homer of the season.
Palumbo's home run was quickly erased, however, as Boston College (24-24, 8-19 ACC) scored twice in the bottom of the second off Terps starter Brett Jones (Dunkirk, Md./Southern).
Maryland upped its advantage to 4-2 in the top of the fourth on an RBI groundout by Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep).
The Terps eventually relinquished the lead, allowing one run in the bottom of the fourth and three in the bottom of the seventh.
The Eagles scored their three seventh-inning runs without hitting the ball out of the infield, scoring on an infield single, bases-loaded walk and bases-loaded wild pitch to grab a 6-4 lead.
Boston College added an insurance run in the top of the ninth for a 7-4 lead.
The Terps scored a run in the top of the ninth and had the tying run at second with two outs, but pinch hitter Mike Moss (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) grounded out to second base to end the threat and the game.
Jones gave the Terps a good outing in the losing effort, pitching a season-high 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs with three strikeouts, which tied a career high.
Brad Taylor (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) was the losing pitcher for the Terps, falling to 1-4 on the year.
Boston College scored the first runs of the second game, plating three in the bottom of the third.
With runners at first and second with one out, Michael Belfiore singled to right-center field to score one run and another came around when right fielder Casario had the ball go under his glove for an error. Tony Sanchez added an RBI single to make it 3-0 Eagles.
A fortuitous bounce helped the Terps draw even in the top of the fourth, however. With two outs and runners on first and second, left fielder Bill Rice (Washington Township, N.J./Washington Township) hit what appeared to be an easy ground ball to first base. Luck was on Maryland's side, though, as the ball took a high hop over Belfiore's head and into the right-field corner. Murphy scored on the play to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Catcher Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul's) then tied the game with a two-run double down the third-base line off starting pitcher Terry Doyle.
The Eagles re-took the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by No. 9 hitter Marc Perdios.
The Terps stranded a golden opportunity to take their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Unfortunately, Doyle fanned Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) and Rice and got Durakis to ground out to end the inning.
The Terps tied the game in the top of the seventh with a two-out rally.
Palumbo doubled to left-center with two outs and Murphy followed with a double to left tie the game at four apiece.
Both teams came up short on opportunities to take the lead or win as the contest stretched into extra innings still tied at 4-4.
The game seemed destined to go to an 11th inning, but the Terps ran into trouble in the bottom of the 10th. The Eagles had a runner on first with two outs, but a wild pitch, walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases.
Dan Gentzler (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga), who had pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings, was pulled for left-handed pitcher Brett Tidball (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep). Harry Darling came on to pinch hit and the Eagles took the victory when Tidball's 1-0 pitch hit Darling in the foot.
It was the second time in a week the Terps have lost due to a hit batsman with the bases loaded. It was also the Terps' ninth conference loss by one run. Gentzler took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season.
Belfiore, who came in to pitch in the eighth, got the win to go to 2-0.
Maryland starter Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) got a no decision, allowing four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched.
With the three-game sweep at the hands of the Eagles, the Terps now must sweep next weekend's series against NC State and get outside help to make the ACC Tournament. The Terps are now two games behind both Duke and Wake Forest, which were both idle this weekend and play one another next weekend. Both the Blue Devils and Demon Deacons hold the tiebreaker over the Terrapins.
-TERPS-
