May 12, 2009
Box Score
NEWARK, Del. -
The University of Maryland baseball team lost its season finale, 6-4, Tuesday afternoon at the University of Delaware, but finished the season with a .500-or-better record for the second straight year. It is the first time the Terps have finished .500 or better for consecutive seasons since the 1980 and 1981 campaigns.
The Terps (27-27) got on the board first, plating a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Second baseman David Poutier ripped a one-out double into the left-center field gap to get the rally started off Delaware starting pitcher Will Blackman. With runners on first and third with two outs, No. 9 hitter Alfredo Rodriguez lined a two-run triple over right fielder Scott Shockley's head, plating Poutier and Gerry Spessard.
Delaware (24-18) scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third on a Ryan Reed RBI single, cutting the Blue Hens' deficit in half at 2-1.
An infield RBI single by Dan Benick put the Terps back up by two, 3-1, in the top of the fourth. Benick barely got a piece of a Matt Harden offering and hit it 15 feet down the third-base line. With two outs, Tyler Bennett charged home from third and scored when Reed couldn't get the throw off to first base in time.
Both pitching staffs took control of the game after the fourth inning and the Terps' 3-1 lead held into the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the eighth, Maryland appeared to be in good shape, but Delaware fought back.
A walk and a single with two outs brought the go-ahead run to the plate in Shockley. Maryland pitcher Blair Delean was relieved by Ian Schwalenberg to attempt to get out of the jam, but Shockley hit a 1-1 pitch over the right-center field wall to give the Blue Hens their first lead of the game, 4-3.
After another double, Schwalenberg was relieved by closer Dan Gentzler to face No. 9 hitter Kyle Davis. Davis fouled off several 2-2 pitches to stay alive, before finally coming through with a triple down the right-field line. Carlos Alonso followed Davis with an RBI single to right, giving the Blue Hens five runs on five straight hits, all with two outs to put the home team up 6-3 heading into the ninth inning.
Down three in the ninth, Maryland refused to go down silently, loading the bases with one out for Benick. Corey Crispell came in to face Benick and forced a run-scoring ground-out to put the tying run in scoring position for pinch hitter Matthew Murakami.
Crispell got ahead on Murakami, 0-2, and eventually induced a game-ending ground ball to third base.
Michael Londino earned the win for Delaware, allowing one run in 1 1/3 innings. Schwalenberg took the loss, finishing the season at 2-5.
Maryland received solid pitching performances from starter Eric Potter and relievers Sander Beck and Adam Kolarek. The trio held Delaware to one run on five hits through seven innings, striking out 11 batters.
With two hits against the Blue Hens, Poutier finished as Maryland's leading hitter with a .321 average.
-TERPS-
