COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Senior right-hander Bobby Ruse picked up his fourth win of the season as the No. 16 Maryland baseball team defeated Princeton, 13-6, to notch a series sweep at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Monday afternoon.
The Terrapins (12-4) scored runs in all but the first inning against the Tigers. Nick Cieri and Kevin Martir led the way offensively with two hits and two RBIs apiece. Freshmen Jamal Wade and John Mazza notched their first career hits.
After a scoreless first, Maryland took the lead in the second. Tim Lewis walked before moving to second on a Cieri single. The Maryland left fielder then advanced home on two wild pitches to give the Terps their first run of the game.
The Tigers scored two runs in the top of the third before Lewis' RBI accounted for the Terps' second run. In the fourth, Anthony Papio slammed a homer to left field for Maryland's lone run in the fourth. The bomb was Papio's fourth of the season.
The Terrapins blew the game open in the fifth. Martir doubled to left field and Lewis was hit by a pitch to set up Cieri, who blasted a two-run double to right. Cieri eventually scored on a Justin Morris single to give the Terps a 6-2 lead.
Princeton would add a run in the sixth before Maryland put up a four-spot in the bottom of the inning. Lowe singled to right followed by a Kevin Smith single that sent Lowe to third. Martir singled to right to score Lowe before Jose Cuas slapped a two-run single. Cuas eventually scored on a wild pitch to give Maryland a 10-3 lead.
Lowe singled in Zach Jancarski in the seventh to extend Maryland's advantage to 11-3. In the eighth, Wade jumped on his first pitch of the game and jacked one to left for his first career home run. The Terps would add their final run on a Jancarski sac fly.
The Tigers grabbed three runs in the ninth. Ruse finished with five strong innings of work with eight strikeouts. He allowed just one earned run.
Maryland travels to North Carolina to face Elon in a two-game set that starts Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. for both Tuesday and Wednesday's contests.
