April 8, 2012
Final Stats | Season Stats (PDF)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Maryland broke a 6-6 tie with No. 17 NC State in the bottom of the 11th on Alfredo Rodriguez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly and the Terrapins earned their first ACC series victory of the season Sunday afternoon at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.
The Terps (21-13, 5-10 ACC), who won game one of the series 4-0 before falling 3-2 on Saturday, had been in control much of Sunday before the Wolfpack (21-9, 9-6 ACC) scored three runs in the ninth to tie it.
But after a scoreless 10th and top of the 11th, Jordan Hagel led off the bottom-half of the inning with a triple to right-center field that set up that game-winning play. NC State intentionally walked the bases loaded and got one out when Jake Stinnett grounded into a fielder's choice, bringing up Rodriguez. The senior shortstop, who has two-game winning hits this year, drove a 1-0 pitch into left field that was deep enough to score K.J. Hockaday from third and give Maryland the win.
Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with three RBIs on the day, while Hagel went 3-for-5 and Tomo Delp went 2-for-3. Tim Kiene hit his second home run of the series, a two-run bomb in the first as Maryland took control early.
The Terps led 4-0 after two innings, and with starting pitcher David Carroll on cruise control seemingly had the game in hand.
Carroll faced the minimum through four innings, as catcher Aaron Etchison caught a NC State runner stealing in the third and Rodriguez turned a 6-3 double play in the fourth to wipe out two base runners.
The Wolfpack, however, got on the board with two unearned runs in the fifth on a dropped fly ball and scored a single run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-3.
Maryland had answered the two runs in the fifth with two of its own on a two-run single by Rodriguez. The Terps held a 6-3 lead heading into the ninth, when NC State scored three runs with two outs to tie it up.
Relief pitcher Korey Wacker allowed all three runs, but stayed on to pitch scoreless 10th and 11th innings and give Maryland the chance to win it.
Wacker (4-0) was credited with the win, while NC State reliever Travis Orwig (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing the triple to Hagel and intentionally walking two.
Carroll didn't factor into the decision, though he turned in his second straight quality start. After going eight innings in a win last weekend at Boston College, the senior spread out seven hits in seven innings and gave up just one earned run while striking out four and walking none against NC State.
Clutch hitting defined the day for the Terps, who scored five of their seven runs with two outs. They also held the advantage on the base paths all weekend over NC State, which had entered the weekend leading the ACC with 54 stolen bases. Maryland matched a season high with four on Sunday and finished the three-game series with a 9-to-1 advantage.
Maryland is off until Wednesday, when West Virginia comes to town for a 6 p.m. matchup.
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