COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland baseball team plated four runs in the sixth to overcome Bryant, 5-3, at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Friday night.
The Terrapins (6-7) fell behind early, but gutted out a win behind nine-hits and seven solid innings from junior RHP Mike Shawaryn. Senior Anthony Papio produced two RBIs.
“That's a really good grind-it-out Friday night win,” head coach John Szefc said. “What Mike did, that's what you need your Friday night guy to do at home against a good team. That's a game right down to the last out.”
Maryland threatened in the second after Bryant starter James Karinchak issued walks to junior Nick Cieri and sophomore Kevin Biondic. Papio and redshirt freshman Andrew Bechtold were unable to push the runners across.
After Bryant manufactured a run through a Brandon Bingel sac fly in the top half of the fourth, the Terps attempted to answer with a sac fly of their own, but Cieri was gunned down at the plate attempting to score on Papio's flyout.
The Bulldogs got to Shawaryn in the fifth, working an RBI walk and plating another run after a Matt Albanese RBI single. Maryland responded with a run in the bottom half. Sophomore Kevin Smith smacked a double to left field to score sophomore Justin Morris, who had launched a double of his own in the previous at-bat.
The Terrapins would grab ahold of the game in the sixth. After freshman Marty Costes walked, Biondic was hit by a pitch to put two on for Papio. The senior drilled a 2-1 pitch down the right field line to score both runners and tie the game.
Consecutive groundouts from Bechtold and Morris gave the Bulldogs two outs, but Smith was able to draw a walk before junior Madison Nickens singled to right to give Maryland the lead. Freshman Nick Dunn helped the Terps tack on an insurance run with a single that brought home Smith.
Shawaryn battled throughout the night and limited the Bulldogs to five hits. With the victory, he moved his Maryland all-time wins record to 26. Junior Tayler Stiles pitched the final two inning to earn his first save since 2014.
Smith extended his hitting streak to 11 games while Dunn and Nickens have reached base in all 13 contests.
Maryland returns to action Saturday against Bryant with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The game can be heard live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
– Terps –
Four-Run Sixth Propels Terps
