March 10, 2009

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Four Maryland pitchers limited the Delaware Blue Hens to one unearned run on six hits Tuesday afternoon at Shipley Field as the Terrapins' baseball team cruised to a 6-1 victory in a non-conference matchup against its border rival.

Sophomore southpaw Eric Potter earned his first win of the season, striking out six batters in four innings, and third baseman Mike Murphy hit his 23rd career home run to move into a tie for 10th place in school history.

Potter had his second consecutive strong outing for the Terps (5-7), allowing only one unearned run in his four innings of work to improve to 1-0 on the season. Potter's ERA is down to 3.60 after his latest appearance.

Murphy's home run was the first run of the game, a solo shot to left-center field off Delaware starter Devon Pearson in the bottom of the second inning.

After the Blue Hens (6-6) tied the game in the top of the third on a throwing error by shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, the Terps got the run back in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by second baseman David Poutier. The Terps would never trail from that point.

Center fielder Dan Benick delivered a two-out RBI single in the fourth and right fielder A.J. Casario gave Maryland some breathing room with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Benick drove in the sixth Maryland run of the game in the sixth on a perfectly-executed safety squeeze bunt, scoring designated hitter Jensen Pupa.

Ian Schwalenberg and Adam Kolarek each pitched two shutout innings out of the bullpen and Dan Gentzler closed the door in the ninth for the Terps.

The collective effort of the pitching staff came against a Blue Hens offense that entered the game hitting .349 as a team with a runs-per-game average of 9.9.

Pearson was the losing pitcher, allowing two runs in three innings pitched to fall to 0-2.

Poutier and Pupa had two hits apiece for the Terps.

The Terps are back in action at 3 p.m. Wednesday when UMES visits Shipley Field.

-TERPS-