Maryland
Manhattan
9th-Inning Rally Lifts Terps Over Jaspers
3/2/2012 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 2, 2012
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Ryan Holland delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie and lift Maryland over Manhattan Friday afternoon at rain-soaked Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.
The Terps are now 6-1 and off to their best start in 37 years. They opened 7-1 in 1975 and will have the chance to replicate that record in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at noon.
Pitching and timely hitting - which have become the staple of Maryland's early success - enabled the victory.
With steady rain falling throughout the afternoon, both starting pitchers delivered impressive outings. Maryland's Brady Kirkpatrick went eight innings, allowing just two runs - one of them earned - on three hits.
Manhattan's (1-4) John Soldinger, the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, struck out eight and allowed just one unearned run on two hits. He also walked eight, but was able to work out of trouble as Maryland left 13 runners on base.
Soldinger was replaced in the eighth by Taylor Sewitt, who was able to escape a bases-loaded, one-out scenario by striking out Jordan Hagel and getting K.J. Hockaday to line out to second base.
But the Terps loaded the bases again in the ninth and were able to take advantage. With two outs, Kyle Convissar was hit by a pitch to force in a run and tie the game, bringing up Holland. The senior fell behind 0-2 in the count, but took a ball and then singled to second base to score the winning run.
Korey Wacker (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth inning and was credited with the win, while Sewitt (1-1) took the loss.
Both team's offenses struggled to get much going for most of the day. Maryland had just two hits until Holland and Charlie White singled in the ninth, and Manhattan finished with just three hits.
Maryland had taken an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the third, but Manhattan tied it up on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and took a 2-1 lead with an unearned run of its own in the fifth.
The teams resume play in the four-game series with a doubleheader at noon Saturday.
Notes: By allowing just one earned run, the Terrapin pitching staff has now gone five straight games surrendering just one earned run or less ... Maryland's team ERA dipped from 1.24 to 1.20 ... despite the rain and temperatures in the 40s, 549 fans were in attendance ... the Terps are now 3-1 in one-run games ... Tim Kiene had his six-game hitting streak snapped, but extended his reached-base streak to seven, as did Holland and Michael Montville ... catcher Aaron Etchison returned from an injury suffered in the season opener and went 1-for-3.
