March 25, 2009

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sophomore Brett Harman pitched six shutout innings and third baseman Mike Murphy went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run as the University of Maryland baseball team defeated in-state rival UMBC, 8-1, Wednesday evening at Shipley Field.

Harman delivered his second consecutive victorious midweek start. After striking out nine batters in six innings last week against Old Dominion, Harman was in a groove again against the Retrievers (4-10), fanning eight batters in six innings with no walks.

Junior A.J. Casario drove in a run in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single against UMBC starter Marty Zawacki and the Terps (11-12) never trailed.

Zawacki was relieved after two innings of work and then the Terps teed off on UMBC reliever Austin Drewyer in the bottom of the third.

First baseman Will Greenberg got the Terps going with a leadoff double into the right-center field gap and then scored a batter later on a throwing error by shortstop Justin Lamborn, the first of three errors on Lamborn in the game. Murphy immediately took advantage of the fielding miscue some more, hitting a two-run homer to center field to put Maryland up 4-0.

Casario followed Murphy's blast with a double off the center-field wall. Catcher Tyler Bennett then flied out to right field. Right fielder Casey Medairy made the catch on the run, but took a while to turn and get the ball back into the infield. Casario noticed Medairy's trouble immediately and sprinted full-speed all the way home on the play. The relay throw from second .base wasn't in time, giving Bennett a two-base sacrifice fly.

Murphy drove in another run with an RBI double to center field in the bottom of the fourth. The Terps tacked on their final two runs in the fifth on a fielding error by left fielder Tom Meaney and an RBI triple by second baseman Matthew Murakami.

UMBC's lone run came in the seventh inning against Maryland reliever Blair Delean. Catcher Rick Phillips drove in the run with an RBI single up the middle.

Harman picked up the win, his team-leading third of the season. Zawacki was the losing pitcher, allowing just one run in two innings.

Casario finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Murakami had a double and triple for the first multi-hit game of his career.

Redshirt freshman Kyle Blackwell pitched one inning of relief for Maryland, striking out the side in the top of the eighth inning.

The Terps return to action Friday evening when ACC rival Florida State comes to Shipley Field to begin a three-game weekend series.

-TERPS-