COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Redshirt sophomore Zach Thompson tossed eight great innings, but the Maryland baseball team fell, 2-1, to No. 17 ECU Saturday afternoon at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.

The Terrapins (10-7) fell behind 2-0 after two before Thompson shutdown the Pirates (14-6) vaunted offense over the next six innings. Maryland grabbed a run in the fourth, but were unable to find a timely hit against ECU pitching.

"Thompson was unbelievable," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "You saw what that team can do offensively last night and Thompson was dominant today. In the two-run inning, we didn't make the plays we needed too. I am proud of them and I thought we fought. East Carolina is extremely good."

The Pirates scratched across two runs in the second, taking advantage of some Terps defensive miscues. From there, Thompson was sensational. From innings five to eight, the redshirt sophomore faced the minimum and consistently kept Pirate hitter off-balance. He finished with a career high eight innings of work while allowing just the two earned runs. He struck out two and walked on.

Maryland found its lone run of the contest in the fourth. Senior Taylor Wright doubled off the wall in right before stealing third. Wright then came into score on a passed ball.

The Terps best chances to score came in the seventh when they loaded the bases with one out after a pair of walks and a hit batter. Randy Bednar struck out for the second out before Wright popped out to end the frame.

Maxwell Costes reached base three times to lead the Terps and has now reached in all 17 games to start his Maryland career. Freshman left-hander Andrew Vail worked a scoreless top of the ninth for the Terps, but Maryland went three up and three down in the ninth to end the game.

Maryland and ECU will play complete their three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.

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