CONWAY, S.C. – Sophomore outfielder Randy Bednar reached base three times and notched two RBIs to help lift the Maryland baseball team to its first win of the season, a 5-3 decision against VCU in the final game of the Brittain Resorts Invitational at Springs Brooks Stadium Sunday.
Bednar was one of three Terps with two hits as juniors Caleb Walls and Sebastian Holte-Mancera both picked up a pair of knocks. Maryland used seven pitchers in the ballgame who combined to allow just two earned runs.
"This team is still learning how to win," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "Early in the season you are trying to find your identity and we played very unselfish baseball today. I told our guys, it's not a beauty contest. Nobody gets more wins for how bad you beat people; you just have to score one more run than the other team. We would love to leave here better than 1-2, but at the end of the day we are learning and getting better."
Maryland got on the board in the top half of the first. Walls started the game with a single before Bednar walked. Senior Taylor Wright bunted the runners over before freshman Maxwell Costes hit a sac fly to centerfield to give the Terps the lead.
VCU responded with a run off Maryland starter left-hander Tyler Blohm. It was the lone run scored off the lefty as Blohm was lifted after two and a third innings of work after his scheduled load of pitches were tossed.
Maryland retook the lead in the third. A four-pitch walk was issued to sophomore Chris Alleyne to leadoff the frame before Walls moved him to third with a single. Alleyne then scored on a perfect squeeze bunt from Wright to make it 2-1.
The Rams moved in front in the fourth on a pair of baserunners allowed by right-hander Trevor LaBonte, who made his Maryland debut. The Terrapins pulled the game back in the sixth. Back-to-back doubles from freshman Benjamin Cowles and Holte-Mancera plated a run before Alleyne, who had once again reached on a walk, scored on a Bednar single.
The Terps added an insurance run in the eighth when Bednar singled home Holte-Mancera, who was on base three times for the afternoon.
Junior right-hander Nick Turnbull made his Terp debut in the fifth and worked his team out of a bases loaded jam in the frame before a shutdown sixth inning. The junior earned the win for his efforts. Freshman Will Glock notched a huge strikeout to expunge a VCU threat in the seventh and senior closer John Murphy earned the save after two scoreless innings.
Maryland returns to action Friday as it opens up a three-game series with Maine. The home opener set for Friday, is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Saturday's content is set for 2 p.m., and the series decider against the Black Bears is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games can be heard on the Maryland Baseball Network.
-Terps-
