EAST LANDING, Mich. – Junior right-handed pitcher Mike Shawaryn tossed a complete game to help the Maryland baseball team to a series opening 6-3 win over Michigan State at McLane Stadium Thursday afternoon.
The Terrapins (27-24, 12-10 Big Ten) saw their offense come alive in the middle innings with three spots in the fifth and sixth. Sophomore Kevin Smith led the offense with three hits while junior Nick Cieri notched two hits and two RBI.
Michigan State opened the scoring with a run in the first before Shawaryn settled in. The Carneys Point, N.J., native sat the Spartans down in order on five different occasions and at one point retired 13 straight.
Maryland's offense sputtered against Michigan State starter Ethan Landon in the first four innings, but struck for three runs in the fifth. Junior Madison Nickens opened the inning with a single before moving over on a Kevin Biondic sac bunt. Cieri then singled through the right side to tie the game
Redshirt freshman Andrew Bechtold followed with a towering double to right center than plated Cieri from first. After moving to third on a Zach Jancarski ground out, Bechtold scored on a wild pitch that extended the Maryland lead to 3-1.
Maryland continued its offensive explosion in the sixth. Freshman Nick Dunn led off the inning with a single that chased Landon for right hander Walter Borkovich. Smith followed with a beautiful bunt that dribbled down the third base and stayed fair for a single. Both runners then moved up on a wild pitch before Nickens walked to load the bases.
After Biondic brought home Dunn with a sac fly, Smith came into score when Borkovich fired an errant pickoff attempt to first. Cieri then doubled down the line to bring home Nickens and give the Terps a 6-1 lead.
Shawaryn allowed two ninth inning runs, but ultimately finished off the complete game in 107 pitches. The junior struck out six and scattered six hits without walking a batter. Shawaryn is now just nine strikeouts away from 300 for his career and has 29 career wins, the most of any junior in the country.
Bechtold has now reached base in 10 straight games while Nickens is on a seven-game hitting streak.
Maryland returns to action against Michigan State Friday at 3:05 p.m. The game can be heard live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
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Shawaryn Pushes Terps Past Spartans
