April 25, 2012

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sander Beck pitched Maryland's first nine-inning complete game in over two years and surrendered just one run as the Terps completed a season sweep of Towson with a 2-1 win Wednesday night.

Beck set a new personal best by going nine innings - his previous long outing was seven against Delaware on Feb. 28, 2010 - and allowed just six hits in the game. The senior struck out five, walked three and got outs when he needed them the most.

With the game tied 1-1 in the ninth, Beck faced his most precarious situation, when two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with one out for the Tigers. But with his pitch count edging over 100, Beck induced a fielder's choice 5-2 putout and a groundout to short to end the inning.

That allowed Maryland (27-17) to win it in the ninth, as Michael Montville scored from second after Jack Cleary reached on an error by Towson third baseman Zach Fisher.

The complete-game effort was the first by a Maryland pitcher since Brett Harman did it on April 11, 2010 against Boston College. David Carroll pitched a complete game earlier this season against Manhattan, though it was in a seven-inning affair.

After the Terps had 14 hits in Tuesday's 9-1 win over Towson (20-22), they had just six on Wednesday. Jordan Hagel was the lone Terrapin with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3, and Maryland didn't have a RBI in the game. Its other run came in the fourth when Hagel doubled and later scored on a balk.

Beck (5-1) picked up the slack, stranding eight Towson runners in the game, including one on third base in both the seventh and eighth innings. The outing continued a dominant home streak for Beck, who is 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium this season.

The win also improved Maryland's non-conference record to 20-3, with pitching - as it has been much of the season - serving as the theme for success. The Terrapins' non-conference ERA is 1.19, as opponents have scored just 26 earned runs in 197 innings.

Towson's lone run came in the third when Brendan Butler tripled to center field to score Mike Draper, who went 3-for-4. Tigers starting pitcher Mike Volpe turned in a solid effort by pitching six innings and allowing one run on four hits while striking out four and walking two. Relief pitcher Chris Acker (3-3) took the loss after allowing the one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings.

Maryland heads to Virginia Tech this weekend for a three-game set that starts a stretch of seven out of eight games away from home.

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