April 17, 2009

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland pitcher Scott Swinson pitched 8 2/3 dominant innings, allowing only one hit out of the infield to the Blue Devils as the University of Maryland baseball team won the series opener, 4-1, against its Atlantic Coast Conference rival Friday evening at Shipley Field.

Swinson pitched a shutout through the first eight innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the ninth, despite allowing only one ball to leave the infield.

With the Terps (17-20, 5-14 ACC) leading 4-0, Duke (26-14, 9-10 ACC) put runners on the corners with one out via a hit batsman, ground-out and infield single. Left fielder Jeremy Gould then scratched across Duke's only run of the game with an RBI ground-out to second. After an Alex Hassan single to right field, Swinson was relieved by closer Dan Gentzler.

No. 5 hitter Gabriel Saade represented the tying run, but Gentzler induced a weak ground ball to end the game and earn his second save of the season.

Swinson allowed just the one run on five hits with six strikeouts to earn his third win of the season and first victory against an ACC foe.

Maryland scored one run in the bottom of the first inning against Duke ace Andrew Wolcott, who entered the game with the best ERA in the ACC at 2.18.

David Poutier led off the game with a swinging strikeout, but reached first on a wild pitch as catcher Matt Williams could not keep the ball in front of him. Two batters later, Mike Murphy drove Poutier home with a double off the left-field wall to give the Terps a 1-0 lead. Wolcott accomplished the rare feat of striking out four batters in an inning, as Will Greenberg later reached first on a strikeout and passed ball against Williams.

The Terps' lone run stood as the only scoring of the game for 6 ½ innings as Swinson and Wolcott took turns shutting down their opponent's offenses.

Wolcott finally slowed down in the eighth inning and the Terps scored some crucial insurance runs. With the bases loaded and two outs, pinch hitter Curtis Lazar drew a walk to score a run after falling behind in the count, 0-2. Defensive replacement Mike Rozak then showed what he could do with the bat, delivering a two-run double to left-center field.

Wolcott fell to 5-3 with the loss, but struck out 10 batters in eight innings.

Murphy finished the game with three hits, his second straight three-hit performance.

Maryland will attempt to clinch the series victory at 4 p.m. Saturday. Sophomore Brett Harman will take the mound for the Terps and face Duke southpaw Christopher Manno.

-TERPS-