March 15, 2009
Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. -
The Terrapins erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth inning, scoring four with two outs, to complete a doubleheader sweep for the University of Maryland baseball team late Sunday night at NC State, knocking off the Wolfpack, 9-3, to finish a successful, but rainy, weekend in Raleigh, N.C.
After Friday's game was postponed due to rain, NC State (9-7, 1-5 ACC) took Saturday night's opener. With heavy rain pelting the area Sunday morning and afternoon, it appeared today's doubleheader might be a wash. However, the rain eventually went away and baseball began around 4:30 p.m., three hours later than the original start time. Maryland won the first game, 3-1.
The series victory was Maryland's first ACC road series win since taking two of three last year at Virginia Tech. It is Maryland's second consecutive series win at NC State, as the Terps took two of three in Raleigh in the 2007 season. It was also Maryland's second doubleheader sweep of the season. Maryland (8-8, 2-4 ACC) also swept Quinnipiac in College Park in the second weekend of the season.
Riding the momentum of the victory in game No. 1, the Terps got off to an early lead in the top of the first inning of the second game. NC State starter Alex Sogard was wild and walked the first four batters of the game to bring in the first Terps' runs. After Jensen Pupa delivered an RBI ground-out for a 2-0 Maryland lead, Sogard was pulled after only retiring one Terp batter.
With runners on second and third with no outs, however, Maryland missed a chance at a potentially-big inning. Catcher Tyler Bennett hit a sinking fly ball to right field off reliever Kyle Rutter. Right fielder Drew Poulk made a running catch for the out. Will Greenberg attempted to score from third, but was nailed by Poulk on a quick tag by catcher Pratt Maynard.
After his critical defensive play to end the top of the first inning, Maynard cut the Wolfpack's deficit in half in the bottom of the first, hitting a solo home run with one out off Maryland starting pitcher Eric Potter.
Despite leading 2-1, the Terps did not have a hit entering the top of the sixth inning. That changed when Greenberg led off with a perfectly-executed bunt single to third base to start the inning. With runners on first and third with two outs, it appeared NC State pitcher Sam Brown had gotten out of the jam when center fielder Dan Benick sliced a fly ball toward the right-field corner. However, Poulk dropped the ball as he ran into the wall, allowing both runners to score, unearned, on the error, giving Maryland a 4-1 lead.
Unfortunately for Maryland, the three-run cushion didn't last long, as the Wolfpack mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Dallas Poulk grounded a two-run single through the right side off Maryland reliever Nathan Steelman. Junior Ian Schwalenberg relieved Steelman with runners on the corners and walked pinch hitter Pat Ferguson to load the bases before getting out of the inning with the lead intact via a ground-out to second.
Although leading 4-3, NC State pitching had still limited Maryland to just a bunt single entering the top of the eighth inning. But the Terps' bats broke through in the eighth, scoring five crucial insurance runs and four with two outs.
Thanks to an error, another bunt single and a walk, Maryland loaded the bases with no outs and NC State brought in Cory Mazzoni to try and thwart the rally. Mazzoni fanned pinch hitter Curtis Lazar for the first out, but then walked Benick to bring in a run and put Maryland up 5-3.
After striking out Gerry Spessard, Mazzoni was on the verge of getting out of the jam with only the one run coming across. However, No. 9 hitter Alfredo Rodriguez delivered the first Maryland hit out of the infield, lining a two-run single up the middle to give Maryland a 7-3 lead. The Terps were not done yet, though. A.J. Casario and David Poutier followed Rodriguez with RBI singles of their own and all of a sudden a nail-biter turned into a comfortable 9-3 Maryland lead with just two NC State at-bats remaining.
Despite the five-run outburst, there was some bad news in the inning. On Mike Murphy's bunt single, he appeared to injure his leg running to first. Murphy had to be carried off the field and was replaced by freshman Matthew Murakami.
Junior Ian Schwalenberg kept the Wolfpack off the board, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings to record his first career save.
Other than the Maynard home run, Potter had little trouble with the Wolfpack offense. The sophomore southpaw allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out a season-high nine batters. Potter improved to 2-0 with the win. Sogard was the losing pitcher for the Wolfpack, falling to 1-2.
Maryland plays a home-and-home non-conference series with Old Dominion this week. The Terps are at Old Dominion at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then return to College Park to host the Monarchs at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
-TERPS-
