COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Junior third baseman Jose Cuas and freshman shortstop Kevin Smith both hit solo home runs to lead the No. 20 Maryland baseball team past Delaware, 5-3, at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Tuesday night.
The Terrapins (31-13, 11-4) took an early 4-0 lead before holding on to dispatch of Blue Hens. Freshman right-hander Brian Shaffer earned the win after five innings of no-run, three-hit work.
After a pair of scoreless frames to begin the game, Maryland opened the scoring in the third. Junior LaMonte Wade walked before Smith was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Brandon Lowe then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both runners.
Kevin Martir was then intentionally walked to set up Cuas, who singled to right to plate Wade. Junior Anthony Papio grounded into a double play to end the threat.
In the fifth, Smith latched onto a Kevin Milley offering a slammed it into left center to give the Terps a 2-0 lead. The long ball was Smith's fifth of the season.
The Terrapins plated two more in the sixth. Freshman Jamal Wade started the threat with a one-out triple before freshman Willie Rios was intentionally walked. LaMonte Wade then stroked a two-out single two score a pair of runs and put the Terps up 4-0 after six.
Delaware grabbed three runs in the seventh to make the score 4-3, but Cuas responded with a home run off the scoreboard in left center in the eighth. The Terrapins have now hit a Big Ten best 38 home runs this season.
Junior Kevin Mooney pitched a spotless eighth and ninth to earn his fifth save of the season. Shaffer moved his record to 3-0 on the season.
Smith ended the day with three hits while Cuas and Jamal Wade both had two apiece.
Maryland returns to action at Delaware Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
-Terps-
