May 9, 2009
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Freshman Tyler Bennett tied Maryland baseball's single-game records in home runs and RBIs, driving in eight runs on three homers to lead the Terrapins to a 10-9 victory against Wake Forest Saturday evening at Shipley Field.
Bennett's third home run of the game turned an 8-6 Maryland deficit into a 9-8 lead in the seventh inning. Bennett became the third player in Maryland history to hit three homers in a game. Jason Mohap hit three homers against Coppin State in 1999 and Brian Jarosinski hit three against Hartford in 2004. Bennett matched Mohap's record for RBIs in a game. Mohap drove in eight runs in that three-homer performance against Coppin State.
Carlos Lopez delivered a two-run homer off Maryland starting pitcher Adam Kolarek in the top of the second to stake the Demon Deacons (21-26, 6-20 ACC) to an early 2-0 lead.
The Terps (26-26, 9-20 ACC) answered in the bottom half of the second as Bennett matched Lopez's blast with a two-run shot of his own off Wake Forest starter Michael Dimock.
Wake Forest scored single runs in the third and fourth to take a 4-2 advantage into the bottom of the fourth. Will Greenberg reached on an error by second baseman Ryan Bouton to lead off the Terps' half of the fourth and second baseman David Poutier followed with a single to put two on with no outs for Bennett. Dimock got ahead of Bennett in the count, 0-2, but left a ball on the outer-half of the plate on his next offering and Bennett took it the other way for a three-run homer, giving the Terps their first lead of the game, 5-4.
The lead didn't last long, though. Relief pitcher Kyle Blackwell walked three batters to load the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth for Lopez. Lopez wasted no time in his at-bat, hitting Blackwell's first pitch over the wall in center field for a grand slam and 8-5 Demon Deacons lead.
Trailing 8-5, freshman Sander Beck replaced Blackwell and pitched two shutout innings to keep Maryland in the game.
Coming off two scoreless innings, Dimock seemed to be in a groove in the seventh. After a strikeout to start the inning, Dimock allowed a single and a walk. Dimock fanned Greenberg for the second out, but couldn't escape the inning unscathed. Poutier singled softly to center field to plate A.J. Casario and set the table for Bennett one more time.
This time, Dimock got behind in the count, 2-0, and had to throw a fastball. Bennett sat on the fastball and crushed a towering blast to center field to put the Terps up, 9-8.
Two innings away from a series victory, closer Dan Gentzler entered the game to attempt the six-out save. Gentzler retired the Demon Deacons in order in the eighth and was one out away from his eighth save of the season in the ninth.
With a runner on first and two outs, pinch hitter Tyler Smith lifted a deep fly ball to right field. Casario got back to the wall and made a perfectly-timed leap to get the ball in his glove. However, the ball popped out toward the field of play and Casario's diving attempt to stab it out of midair came up just short and the ball fell to the ground, scoring Weldon Woodall to tie the game and end Gentzler's 15 2/3 scoreless innings streak.
Lopez made a bid to give Wake Forest the lead, driving a line drive over center fielder Dan Benick's head, but Benick got back on the ball and made a running catch on the warning track to end the threat.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Murphy reached on an infield single off Demon Deacons reliever Zach White. Greenberg nearly ended the game after Murphy's at-bat, crushing a double off the right-center field wall. Murphy was held at third base on the play, though, giving Poutier a chance to win the game with a hit or productive out.
With Bennett on deck, the Demon Deacons opted not to intentionally walk Poutier to set up the force at every base and instead decided to play the infield and outfield in for a potential play at the plate.
White got ahead of Poutier, 0-2, but his third pitch got out over the plate and Poutier put it in play, grounding a softly-hit grounder to shortstop Dustin Hood. Hood fielded and threw home to try to nail Murphy, but the throw went a little outside and Murphy slid in safely for the winning run.
The win gave the Terps their first series win against the Demon Deacons since 2000 and got their overall record back to .500 for the first time since they were 4-4 in the season's second week.
Casario, Poutier and Alfredo Rodriguez had two hits each for Maryland. Lopez led Wake Forest with six RBIs on two home runs. Center fielder Steven Brooks went 3-for-5.
Gentzler earned the victory for Maryland, improving to 3-2. White took his first loss of the season, falling to 4-1.
The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday with Senior Day activities occurring beforehand. Scott Swinson will be on the mound for the Terps as they go for their first ACC series sweep since 2002 against NC State.
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