COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Sophomore Brian Shaffer struck out a career high eight batters over eight innings and did not allow a run as the Maryland baseball team defeated Rutgers, 6-0, at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Terrapins (26-24, 11-10 Big Ten) scored six runs on eight hits to give head coach John Szefc the 350th win of his head coaching career. Maryland honored its two seniors for Senior Day, with Anthony Papio notching two hits and Robert Galligan recording the final out on the mound in their last game at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
“It was a big day for us,” head coach John Szefc said. “I think the story of the day is our pitching and defense. That was a really big time start by Shaffer and we played good defense behind him.”
Shaffer did not allow a hit through the first three innings and allowed the Maryland offense to wear down Rutgers starter Serafino Brito. That work reaped benefits in the sixth when the Terps plated three runs. Papio started the inning off with a double before stealing third. Freshman Marty Costes then drew a walk to put runners on the corners with one down.
On the ensuing at-bat, sophomore Kevin Smith attempted a squeeze, but Papio was thrown out at home. Junior Madison Nickens then drew a walk to load the bases before Costes came home to score twhen sophomore Kevin Biondic was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch that scored Smith, Nickens came home on a walk issued to Andrew Bechtold to make the score 3-0.
In the seventh, Maryland took advantage of some Rutgers control issues to score an insurance run. Papio and freshman Nick Dunn drew walks to start the inning before Papio moved to third on a Costes fly out. Smith then delivered an RBI sac fly to make it 4-0.
Sophomore Justin Morris, who had come on as a defensive replacement behind the plate, singled to start the eighth before Bechtold and Zach Jancarski walked to load the bases. Back-to-back walks issued to Dunn and Costes scored two more runs to give Maryland a commanding 6-0 lead.
Shaffer was in command throughout and scattered three hits over his eight innings. His eight strikeouts were a career after he accrued his previous career high of seven on six different occasions. The right hander moved his record to 6-3 and his ERA to 2.70. He has struck out 62 batters to just 11 walks this season.
Freshman Hunter Parsons recorded the final two outs of the ninth before Galligan entered to record the final out of the game. Both fifth-year seniors, Papio and Galligan end their Maryland careers with 91 wins at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
Bechtold has now reached base in nine straight games while Nickens is on a six game hit streak.
Maryland returns to action Thursday at 3 p.m., at Michigan State. The game can be seen live on BTN or heard live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
-Terps-
