Maryland
Michigan State
Terps Top Spartans, Head to B1G Tournament
5/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brian Shaffer tossed eight innings and sophomore Kevin Biondic notched three hits and two RBI to push the Maryland baseball team past Michigan State, 6-4, at McLane Stadium Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the Terrapins (28-25, 13-11 Big Ten) qualified for the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritrade Park, as the six seed.
Maryland received a sensational performance from freshman Nick Dunn, who tallied four hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. Sophomore Ryan Selmer earned his fourth save of the season to close out the game for the Terps.
“Brian was really the story of the game,” head coach John Szefc said. “He was able to stay in the game after the first and for what he went through, that was a great start. We came back and put up six and had some great at bats.”
Michigan State opened the scoring with a single run in the first before taking a 3-0 lead with a Dan Durkin two-run homer in the third.
In the fourth, Dunn doubled to begin the frame before moving to third on a Kevin Smith single. Junior Madison Nickens scored Dunn with a ground out to the second baseman. Biondic then reached on an error that sent Smith to third. Nick Cieri produced a sac fly to plate the sophomore shortstop and cut the deficit to 3-2.
After the Spartans responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the fourth, Dunn's bat once again was a difference maker as he drove a two-out double to left field to bring home Marty Costes.
Shaffer ran into trouble early after being hit with a line drive in the first, but settled in by the middle innings and gave the Terps a sensational start. The sophomore scatted eight hits and worked out of a huge fifth inning bases loaded jam. Shaffer struck out five and allowed just one hit in his final three innings of work.
Maryland took the lead for good with a three-run seventh. Sophomore Zach Jancarski drew a walk to start the inning before moving to third on a Dunn single. Smith was then hit by a pitch before freshman Dan Maynard, pinch hitting for Nickens, was plunked to score a run.
Biondic then delivered Maryland its biggest base knock of the day, going opposite field for a single that brought home Dunn and Smith. It was Biondic's sixth three-hit game of the season.
Selmer entered in the ninth after Mike Rescigno walked the first batter. Selmer allowed a walk on his first batter, but recorded three consecutive outs to finish the game.
Maryland has now qualified for the Big Ten Tournament in its first two seasons in the conference. The Terps advanced to the Big Ten Tournament final last season before falling to Michigan.
The Terps return to action Wednesday at the Big Ten Tournament with an opponent TBD. All Big Ten Tournament action can be seen live on BTN/BTN Plus or listened to live on the Maryland Baseball Network.
