COLLEGE PARK, MD -- In Maryland's first-ever home NCAA Tournament game, the 15th-seeded Terps trounced Long Island, 23-2, on Friday night before a sell-out crowd of 3,000 at Bob 'Turtle' Smith Stadium. The Terps (46-12) will take on UConn (44-12) on Saturday at 7 p.m. A season-best nine-run second inning propelled the Terps to an early lead and they never looked back.
Maryland scored a program record number of runs in a game in an NCAA Tournament game with 23, surpassing the mark of 16 set in 2017 vs. UMBC and equaled last season against Norfolk State. The 23 runs are tied for fourth-most in any NCAA Tournament game in history. Maryland's 20 hits set a school record for an NCAA Tournament game.
It was an offensive outburst for the Terps as every Terp starter had a hit and a run scored -- by the fourth inning.
Three players had four RBIs or more in the game led by Ian Petrutz, who was 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBIs as he hit a homer and scored twice. Troy Schreffler Jr., went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Nick Lorusso went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
Maxwell Costes went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs.
Matt Shaw went 2-for-5, including his 22nd homer of the season and drove in two runs, while scoring two runs. Luke Shliger went 2-for-4 with three RBIs as he also homered in scoring three runs.
On the mound, starter Ryan Ramsey threw five innings, allowing just four hits and no runs while striking out 11 Sharks. Logan Ott replaced him and finished the game to earn his first-career save.
LIU fell to 37-20 overall. Christopher Wasson went 2-for-3.
Breaking Down The Action
• The floodgates opened up in the second inning as the Terps took a 9-0 lead and never looked back as 14 Terps came to the plate. Maryland took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of a pair of LIU errors as Schreffler and Costes scored. The lead increased to 3-0 on a Shliger sacrifice fly scoring Bobby Zmarzlak. Lorusso brought home three runs on a double to left, making it 6-0. Then Shaw blasted his 22nd homer of the season off the scoreboard to bring home Lorusso for an 8-0 lead. Petrutz's single down the rightfield line scored Costes, who singled for the 9-0 lead.
• Maryland scored three more runs in the third to take a 12-0 lead. Lorusso brought home Shliger for a 10-0 lead. Schreffler doubled in two runs for the 12-run margin.
• Shliger blasted a two-run bomb to centerfield for a 14-0 score. The runs kept coming as Schreffler drove in two more and Costes singled home another run for a 17-0 lead. Then Petrutz doubled in two more for a 19-0 score. The Terps batted around for the second time in the game.
• Petrutz blasted a homer in the sixth to give the Terps a 20-0 lead i the sixth.
• Costes drove in two runs in the seventh making it 22-1.
• Jacob Orr drove in Shliger for the 23rd run of the night in the bottom of the eighth.
NCAA Tournament History
• The Terps are making their eighth NCAA appearance and are now 12-15 in those tournaments, dating to 1965.
• Maryland has played in each of the last two tournaments and five of the last eight events.
• Over the last five NCAA appearances, all since 2014, the Terps have a record of 11-9.
• The was Maryland's first home NCAA Tournament game.
Numbers To Know
• 1: This was Maryland's first-ever home NCAA Tournament game at Shipley Field at Bob 'Turtle' Smith Stadium.
• 2: Every Terp starter had two or more runs scored in the game.
• 3: Maryland scored 20 or more runs in a game for the third time this season.
• 3: Costes had three hits a game for the third time this season.
• 4: Schreffler had four or more RBIs for the fourth time this season.
• 4: Lorusso had four or more RBIs for the fifth time this season.
• 5: Petrutz had a career-high five RBIs.
• 6: Schreffler Jr., extended his hitting streak to six games (14-for-27) for a .519 average.
• 9: The nine-run second inning was the biggest inning for the Terps this season, surpassing a high of eight vs. Michigan (5/15) and Cornell (3/12).
• 9: All nine Terp starters scored runs in the game -- and all by the third inning.
• 9: Shliger extended his hit streak to nine games going 16-for-39, for an average of .410.
• 11: Ramsey struck out 11 batters, his fourth game this season with double-figure Ks.
• 12: Costes now has a 12-game hit streak hitting 20-for-51 and average of .392.
• 14: Schreffler stole his 14th base, tying Luke Shliger for second on the team.
• 22: Schreffler now has 22 doubles on the season, tied for third-most in a season in Maryland with Carey Trout (1998).
• 23: Maryland's 23 runs scored tied for the fourth-most in an NCAA Tournament game ever. (Notre Dame vs. Northern Colo. (2), 6-9-1957 and Arizona St. vs. Oklahoma St. (12), 6-5-1984).
• 24: Alleyne stole his team-best 24th base in the win.
• 65: Shaw now has 65 RBIs this season to stand tied for sixth in a single-season at Maryland. He's third to Alleyne (75) and Lorusso (67) on this year's team.
• 67: Lorusso now has 67 RBIs this season to stand third in a single-season at Maryland.
• 67: Costes was hit by a pitch for the 67th time in his career, tying the Maryland school record for HBP in a career, set by Kyle Convissar (2011-14).
• 75: Shliger added to his school single-season record for runs scored with three in the game and now has 75.
Up Next
• Maryland will play in the winner's bracket on Saturday night at 7 p.m., when the Terps will take on UConn (8-7 winners over Wake Forest in Friday's first Regional game) at 7 p.m. The game will air on an ESPN Network to be announced and the Maryland Baseball Network.
• LIU and Wake Forest will play an elimination game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
• Saturday's night game is sold out, but the day game has tickets available as are tickets for both of Sunday's games here.
