ABERDEEN, Md. – Sophomore Brandon Lowe went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs to lead the Maryland baseball team past Towson, 9-2, in the second annual Ripken Cup at Ironbirds Stadium Wednesday night.
The Terrapins (33-16) used a three-run second to take the lead before pulling away in the fourth. Senior Tim Lewis and junior LaMonte Wade both notched two hits while freshman Brian Shaffer moved his record to 4-0 on the year after five innings of two-run work.
“We always have tough games with those guys,” head coach John Szefc said. “The first part of that game was really close. We had a lot of good at-bats with two outs early. Our first four runs were scored with two outs and that's a back breaker for an opposing pitching staff. That got us going.”
After Towson plated a run in the first, the Terrapins leveled the score in the bottom half when junior Jose Cuas doubled to right to plate Lowe. The Tigers then added a run in the top of the second to make the score 2-1.
In the home half of the second, Maryland scored three runs to take the lead for good. Lewis began the threat with a one-out single to short. After sophomore Patrick Hisle laid down a sac bunt to move the senior over, Wade singled to center to drive him in.
Freshman Kevin Smith then singled before Lowe smashed a double to left center to clear the bases and make the score 4-2 after two.
The bottom of the third saw Cuas score on a passed ball after reaching on a walk, stealing second, and moving to third on a wild pitch. In the fourth, the Terps blew the game open. Wade singled to center before advancing to second on a wild pitch. He went to third after Smith grounded out to short.
Lowe then nabbed his third and final RBI of the contest with a double down the right field line. Martir subsequently took Towson starter Austin Clark deep to right field to make it 8-2.
Maryland would plate its final run in the seventh when Lewis tripled down the right field line to score freshman Zach Jancarski.
Led by Shaffer, Maryland's pitchers combined to record 16 strikeouts. Senior Bobby Ruse, sophomore Mike Rescigno, redshirt freshman Andrew Green and freshman Willie Rios all notched an inning of work.
Maryland returns to action this weekend with a series at Ohio State. Game one is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Friday.
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