April 19, 2009
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
In just two innings, the University of Maryland baseball team scored more runs than it had in a conference game this season, scoring five times in the first and six times in the second en route to a 12-8 victory against the Duke Blue Devils Sunday afternoon at Shipley Field. The Terrapins (18-21, 6-15 ACC) won the series, 2-1, for their second Atlantic Coast Conference series win this season.
Maryland scored four runs in each of the previous two games of the series, but bettered that in the first inning alone Sunday.
After a 1-2-3 inning from starting pitcher Brett Jones in the top of the first, the Terps' bats went to work. Designated hitter Jensen Pupa drew a leadoff walk and right fielder A.J. Casario got the Terps on the scoreboard with a two-run home run to center field off starting pitcher Eric Pfisterer.
With a runner on first and two outs, the Terps mounted another rally. Tyler Bennett struck out swinging for what would have been the final out, but Pfisterer's pitch was in the dirt and eluded catcher Matt Williams, allowing Bennett to reach first and advance David Poutier to second.
Second baseman Matthew Murakami took advantage of the Terps' good fortune, lining an RBI single to right field. Left fielder Gerry Spessard followed Murakami with an RBI single to left-center, his 100th career RBI. Pfisterer's second wild pitch of the inning later allowed Murakami to scoot home from third for the fifth run of the inning.
Pfisterer did not make it out of the first inning, allowing five runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Will Currier, Pfisterer's replacement, fared worse than Pfisterer. After Currier got the final out of the first inning, he could not retire a Terp batter in the second.
A two-run single by Gabriel Saade brought Duke (27-15, 10-11 ACC) within three runs at 5-2 entering the bottom of the second, but the Terps got the two runs back and then some.
Casario led off with a single and Mike Murphy doubled to left field. Poutier then drove in Casario with an RBI fielder's choice in which Casario slid in safely at home under the tag of Williams, allowing all runners to advance. Greenberg followed Poutier with an RBI single and Bennett loaded the bases with yet another single.
Up 7-2, Murakami struck again, lining a two-run double to the wall in left-center field, scoring two more runs to chase Currier from the game. After a double play, center fielder Dan Benick delivered the final blow of the inning off relief pitcher Joe Pedevillano, hitting a two-run home run to center field for an 11-2 Terps lead.
In the first two innings combined, the Terps scored 11 runs on 10 hits.
Despite leading by nine runs, the Terps couldn't run and hide from the Blue Devils.
Duke scored two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings, all unearned due to three Maryland errors. Jones ran into trouble in the fifth and was unable to finish the inning and qualify for the win.
Freshman Matt Fullerton relieved Jones and got the Terps into the eighth inning with an 11-6 lead before getting into trouble. Fullerton began the eighth inning with a walk and double before being replaced by Dan Gentzler.
Gentzler nearly gout out of the jam unscathed, getting a short fly-out on a diving catch by Casario, as well as a strikeout. One strike away from getting out of the inning, Nate Freiman came through with a two-run single to cut Maryland's lead to 11-8.
Fortunately for Maryland, Gentzler got out of the inning without further damage and Bennett brought in an insurance run in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Gentzler retired the Blue Devils in order in the ninth to seal the win.
Greenberg and Murakami had three hits apiece for the Terps and Murakami set a career high with a team-high three RBIs. Maryland's 16 hits were one shy of the season high, but the most against an ACC opponent this year.
Fullerton earned his team-leading fifth win of the season, allowing two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Pfisterer took the loss to even his record at 2-2.
Maryland has now won both its conference series from teams in North Carolina as its other series victory this season was at NC State.
The Terps return to Shipley Field Tuesday for a 5 p.m. game with La Salle.
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