Feb. 20, 2009
Box Score
WILMINGTON, N.C. -
Senior Will Greenberg hit his first home run of the season and the Terps held an early 2-0 lead, but the UNC Wilmington Seahawks came from behind to defeat the University of Maryland baseball team, 10-4, Friday afternoon at Brooks Field in the season opener for both teams.
Maryland drew first blood in the game thanks to Greenberg, who lead off the top of the second inning. Greenberg worked a 3-1 count against starting pitcher Daniel Cropper and sat on a high fastball. Greenberg got the pitch he wanted and drilled an absolute no-doubt home run into the wind to dead center field. The Terps threatened to score more runs in the frame, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Cropper escaped the jam with a ground-out and strikeout. Freshman Taylor Buran recorded a single to center field in the inning in his first career at-bat.
Left fielder Gerry Spessard put Maryland up 2-0 in the top of the third inning with a two-out single to center field, scoring Jensen Pupa. Mike Murphy was thrown out at third base on the play, but just after Pupa slid across home plate safely.
The Seahawks erased the two-run deficit in the bottom of the third inning. Down 2-1 with runners on first and second, David Shambley ripped a line drive to center field. A.J. Casario nearly made an excellent play on the run, but could not squeeze the ball in his mitt and the tying and go-ahead runs scored.
The Seahawks added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double by Thomas Pope to chase Maryland starting pitcher Brett Harman. Sophomore southpaw Adam Kolarek relieved Harman, but was greeted by a Grayson Evans two-run double down the left field line to put Wilmington up 7-2. Right fielder Bobby Leeper added a fifth run in the inning with a weakly-hit infield single to third base.
The Terps had a chance to get back into the game in the top of the sixth inning, loading the bases with no outs. However, they could only manage one run on an RBI fielder's choice by Buran as first baseman Curtis Lazar grounded into an inning-ending double play to strand two more baserunners.
The Terps made two fielding errors in the bottom of the sixth inning, but also made two outstanding defensive plays as the Seahawks added two more runs to take a 10-3 lead. Casario dropped a fly ball to start the inning, but also threw out a runner at the plate off a single up the middle. Second baseman David Poutier added a leaping catch going to his right off a hard-hit line drive to end the inning.
Maryland plated a lone run in the top of the ninth inning on a bases-loaded walk from Poutier.
Pupa, last year's leading hitter for Maryland, added two hits in the game to pick up where he left off last season.
Harman took the loss for Maryland while Cropper earned the victory.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Matt Fullerton tossed a 1-2-3 inning of relief in the bottom of the eighth inning in his college debut.
Game two of the series is set for a 2 p.m. Saturday start. Left-hander Eric Potter will start on the mound for the Terps and will face Seth Frankoff.
-TERPS-
