GREENVILLE, N.C. – Freshman Nick Dunn reached base three times and had two RBIs, but the Maryland baseball team fell, 4-3, to No. 16 East Carolina in its final game of the Keith LeClair Classic at Clark-LeClair Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Terrapins (5-5) took the lead in the fifth and notched eight hits, but were unable to hold off the Pirates. Nick Cieri also had a pair of hits for the Terps.
In the first, Maryland had two on after Dunn was hit by a pitch and Cieri singled, but Marty Costes grounded out to end the inning. Junior Madison Nickens then picked up Shaffer, gunning down Charlie Yorgan at the plate on a would be sac fly to end the inning.
Maryland struck first with a two-out rally in the fifth. Smith hit a 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field to give the Terps the lead. Nickens then drew a walk and stole second before Dunn dropped a single into left to bring the junior home and give the Terps a 2-0 lead.
East Carolina chased Shaffer in the sixth after Eric Tyler hit a two-run homer to tie the game. Senior Robert Galligan entered to get the Terps out of the inning.
The Terps threatened in the sixth and seventh innings, but left the bases loaded in both frames. In the sixth, Kevin Biondic and Andrew Bechtold produced back-to-back singles before Justin Morris walked to load the bases. Consecutive strikeouts of Smith and Nickens ended the inning.
The seventh saw Dunn and Cieri walk to begin the frame. Sophomore Zach Jancarski, pinch hitting for Costes, struck out attempting a sac bunt. Anthony Papio then grounded out to first, but Biondic walked to load the bases. The inning ended on a Bechtold strikeout.
ECU took the lead in the bottom half of the seventh when a throwing error by Smith let Turner Brown come in to score.
Maryland tied the game in the eighth. Nickens reached after a wild pitch on a swinging strike three before stealing second. Dunn then ripped a double down the left field line to score Nickens.
In the bottom half of the eighth, the Pirates retook the lead when Dwanya Williams-Sutton doubled down the right field line off Ryan Selmer to bring home Tyler.
With his home run, Smith stretched his team-best hitting streak to eight games. Dunn holds a team-high .417 average and along with Nickens, has reached base in all 10 games.
Maryland will return to action Tuesday against Delaware at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Md. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and the action can be heard live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
– Terps –
