Feb. 19, 2012

Box Score

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LOS ANGELES - Brett Harman pitched five strong innings and Maryland jumped out to an early lead while controlling throughout in a series-clinching 5-1 victory over No. 14 UCLA Sunday afternoon.

Tim Kiene went 2-for-4 with his second homer in as many days and freshman K.J. Hockaday had two hits for the second straight game as Maryland (2-1) got its first series win on the road since March 14-15, 2009, at NC State.

The Terps scored a run in each of the first three innings, which proved to be plenty of support for Harman, a fifth-year senior who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Making his first start since May 20, 2010, Harman was dominant in five innings of work. The Westminster, Md., native showed no signs of rust, striking out two in the first, second and third innings, and retiring eight straight after issuing a walk in the first inning.

Harman allowed the ball to leave the infield just once, when Tyler Heineman hit a chopper up the middle for a single in the fourth. But after Heineman's base knock, Harman set down three in a row to seamlessly end the inning.

And after getting into a little trouble in the fifth by hitting a batter and allowing an infield single with two outs, Harman induced a groundout to first base to escape. He finished his day with eight strikeouts and one walk while surrendering just two hits.

By the time he exited, the Terps were in control. They had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when UCLA second baseman Kevin Kramer dropped a fly ball in shallow right field, allowing Charlie White - who led off with a walk - to score from third.

A two-out rally in the second increased Maryland's lead to 2-0. On a full count, Hockaday doubled to the gap in left-center field, and Jack Cleary followed by ripping a three-bagger over the center fielder's head.

In the third, Kiene doubled to right-center field and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Convissar, increasing the Maryland lead to 3-0.

UCLA (1-2) scored a run in the sixth to make it 3-1, but Kiene countered the next half-inning with a towering solo home run that went off the light pole in right field. The Terps added another insurance run in the inning on Jordan Hagel's bases-loaded walk.

Junior lefty Jimmy Reed, who earned the save Friday night, came on and pitched a near flawless final two innings to secure the win. After inheriting a runner in the seventh, he struck out Beau Amaral and induced Heineman into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Reed struck out two in the eighth and after allowing two infield singles, got a groundout to end it.

Maryland is on the road again next week at the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C. The Terps face Western Carolina Friday, Purdue Saturday and East Carolina Sunday.

Notes: Due to a pre-arranged last-inning start time, the game was shortened to eight innings ... Cleary was originally given a triple in the second inning when he hit a deep shot to center field, but it was changed to an error after the official scorer ruled that the center fielder had misplayed it and the ball had glanced off his glove ... Hockaday hit a team-high .364 in the series, going 4 of 11 with three runs ... Kiene was 4 for 12 with two doubles, two homers, four RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage ... Reed was the lone Terp to make two mound appearances - he totaled 3.0 innings, allowing no runs, three hits while striking out six without issuing a walk.