March 12, 2011
Box Score | Season Stats (PDF)
ATLANTA -
For the first time this season Maryland lost a game that began with David Carroll on the mound, as No. 25 Georgia Tech defeated the Terps 9-3 Saturday on the strength of Jed Bradley's 11 strikeouts and Kyle Wren's 5-for-5 day at the plate.
Coming into today Carroll and Maryland were 3-0 in games he started, including a 10-1 victory over No. 6 Texas on Feb. 19. But the Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead on Daniel Palka's two-run homer in the first inning - the first home run allowed by Maryland pitching this year - and never looked back.
A lefty, Bradley (2-0) ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in strikeouts per game (14.02) and went seven innings against the Terps (8-6), allowing three runs on five hits with a walk. He gave up just one run through the first six, allowing Tech to build an 8-1 lead.
A freshman center fielder, Wren hit a RBI triple in the second to increase Georgia Tech's (11-4) lead to 4-0 and scored on a Jacob Esch single in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.
Carroll (3-1) had his shortest outing as a Terp, leaving after surrendering a solo home run to Jake Davies with one out in the fifth that made it 6-1 Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets increased their lead to 8-1 in the sixth with a pair of runs on two hits and a Maryland error. DeAndre Smelter and Wren led off the inning with singles and advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Esch. Matt Skole's groundout brought in Smelter and a fielding error on Maryland third baseman Jake Stinnett allowed Wren to score.
Alfredo Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a RBI but was the only Terrapin with multiple hits. Korey Wacker, Ryan Holland, Gary Schneider and Jack Cleary chipped in a hit apiece.
The Terps cut the Georgia Tech lead to 4-1 in the third with three consecutive two-out singles by Cleary, Rodriguez and Wacker, but didn't get a hit again until the seventh.
Charlie White reached on an error by Georgia Tech third baseman Matt Skole to start the seventh and Schneider followed with a pinch-hit single through the right side. Schneider and White executed a double-steal as Jake Stinnett struck out and White scored when Cleary grounded out to second base. Rodriguez then doubled to bring home Schneider and make it 8-3.
Wren homered to right field in the eighth, his fifth hit of the day, to provide the final run of the game.
The Terps and Yellow Jackets play the third and final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
