March 11, 2009

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A.J. Casario went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a three-run home run to lead the University of Maryland baseball team to an 11-4 victory Wednesday afternoon against UMES, giving the Terrapins their sixth straight home victory to begin the season.

Casario, a junior outfielder, also scored three times, walked twice and stole two bases.

Casario drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning and promptly stole second base. Casario scored the game's first run two batters later, trotting home on a Will Greenberg double. The Terps (6-7) scored two more runs in the bottom of the first despite only one hit, as UMES starting pitcher Carl Huber uncorked three wild pitches in the inning.

The Hawks (2-12) scored a pair of runs in the top of the second inning on a Phil Vaughn two-run single to center field, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Terps were never seriously challenged from there, however. After back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the second, Huber was pulled for Cameron Zimmerman. Casario rudely greeted Zimmerman, launching his first offering over the right-field wall for a 6-2 Maryland lead. Maryland added another run in the inning on a double steal, when catcher Michael Guy's throw to third went into left field, allowing Greenberg to come home.

After adding two more runs in the third to go up 9-2, Casario drove in his fourth run of the game with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Jorge Pichardo delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single in the top of the sixth inning for UMES' third and fourth runs of the game.

Freshman catcher Tyler Bennett completed the scoring on the afternoon, launching a solo home run to dead-center field to lead off the sixth inning. It was Bennett's first career home run.

Freshman Sander Beck started on the mound for Maryland, but was pulled in the top of the second inning for Brett Harman. Harman earned the victory in relief, pitching 2 1/3 shutout innings with five of his seven outs coming via strikeout. Harman improved to 1-2.

Huber was the losing pitcher, allowing five runs in one inning-plus with four walks and three wild pitches. Huber fell to 0-2.

Redshirt freshman Kyle Blackwell saw his first career action on the mound for Maryland, tossing one shutout inning.

Maryland plays a three-game series this weekend at NC State.

-TERPS-