Blog from Todd Carton
After winning the first two games against a quality Cal State Fullerton squad on their bye week from conference play, Maryland baseball’s bats went silent as the Terps dropped three straight. They lost 1-0 in the Fullerton series finale and inexplicably struggled through two midweek losses in a home and home series to VCU falling 2-1 in 10 innings in Richmond Tuesday and 3-1 in College Park Wednesday.
The Terps got back on track by sweeping a three game series in West Lafayette against the Big Ten cellar dweller the Purdue Boilermakers. The scores indicate a possible resurgence along Maryland’s lineup but a deeper look at how the Terps fared against a squad with only one win in conference play and is now 13-31 overall still leaves that apparent rejuvenation a bit open to question.
FRIDAY GAME ONE: MARYLAND’S BATS COME ALIVE IN 12-3 ROUT
Predictions of severe weather in West Lafayette on Saturday prompted the home team to move Saturday’s scheduled game up a day and make it part of a Friday doubleheader. Maryland ace, and reigning Big Ten and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, Mike Shawaryn opened the set for the Terrapins. Shawaryn, who entered the game 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA, would face Purdue’s Brett Hahn (1-7, 6.61 ERA). Guess who prevailed?
Maryland came into the game having slugged 34 home runs for the season two more than the combined total they had reached in their first two seasons under third year head coach John Szefc. They added two to that total in the opening game of Friday’s doubleheader with Kevin Martir unloading a two run blast in the top of the first – his sixth of the year. Freshman shortstop Kevin Smith added a solo shot in the third.
After scratching out a two out run in the top of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead, the Terps broke the game open with a four run fifth. LaMonte Wade, rounding into form as he returns from an early season injury, got the Terrapins started with a one out double to right center and immediately came in to score when Smith singled to center for his second RBI of the game.
Brandon Lowe and Martir followed with two more singles to put the Terps ahead 6-0. They added two more when Jose Cuas singled through the hole between short and third. Meanwhile, Shawaryn was sailing along giving up just one hit through the first four innings while picking up half of his 10 strikeouts.
Shawaryn left the game after seven shutout innings. He gave up just three singles and didn’t walk a batter to go along with his 10 strikeouts giving him 92 for the seasons and moving him past Brett Harman for 10th place on the single season strikeout list.
Maryland’s bullpen was a bit shaky giving up a three run eighth to the home standing Boilermakers but the Terps’ bats continued to peck away adding single runs in the seventh and eighth and getting a pair in the ninth on a pinch hit double by freshman pitcher Willie Rios in his first at bat of the season. Rios’ two bagger was the last of the Terps’ 14 hits for the game which ended with Maryland on the long end of a 12-3 score.
Improving his record to 10-0 and dropping his ERA to just 1.52, the sophomore Shawaryn has now won 21 games and has lifted his name to the top of Maryland’s all-time career win list.
FRIDAY GAME TWO – TERPS CAPITALIZE ON WALKS AND ERRORS IN 7-3 WIN
Junior Robert Galligan got his first start of the season on the mound for Maryland in the second game. Galligan earned the start after giving the Terps six strong innings in relief of Tayler Stiles in the second game of the Fullerton series. Stiles, who was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of the first hitter of the game and is scheduled for surgery this week, will be lost for the season.
As they had in the first game, Maryland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in the nightcap. However, the Terps managed that with only one hit – a bases loaded single by catcher Kevin Martir – as Maryland benefited from three walks by Purdue’s starter Matt Frawley.
Galligan got off to a rocky start allowing the Boilermakers to tie the score in the home half of the first on a two run homer by center fielder Kyle Johnson. After both teams went down in order in the second, the Terrapins recaptured the lead for good scoring three times in the top of the third.
Brandon Lowe reached on a one out error and after Anthony Papio grounded out, Martir drew a walk. As a good team will, the Terps made the Boilermakers pay for their miscue when Jose Cuas bashed a triple to the fence in right center. He came home to score on a failed pickoff attempt. After three at bats, Maryland had scored five runs on only two hits.
Galligan cruised through the third and fourth retiring Purdue in order in both innings. He pitched out of a two on and two out jam in the fifth and got out of the sixth unscathed after yielding a one out double. the Junior then finished his work by retiring the side in order in the seventh.
Maryland scored a run on two hits in both the eighth and ninth innings and Purdue picked up a run in their half of the eighth for the final 7-3 margin.
SUNDAY – LATE HEROICS GIVE TERPS A 4-3 WIN
Head coach John Szefc called on left hander Jake Drossner to start Sunday’s contest as the Terps looked to complete their third B1G series sweep of the season but their first away from College Park. Drossner, who sometimes suffers with control problems, is virtually unhittable when he doesn’t. Sunday was a bit of a mixed bag for the junior.
Drossner retired the first seven batters he faced before issuing a one out walk in the third to designated hitter Ted Snidanko. After a single by shortstop Harry Shipley, the situation became complicated as the Terps committed their first and only error of the series loading the bases with one out. Drossner got out of the jam giving up only one run but the Boilermakers had their first lead of the series.
Purdue added a run in the fifth when Snidanko led off the inning by drawing his second base on balls and the third issued by Drossner whose day ended after Shipley’s sacrifice bunt. Snidanko eventually came around to score on single to left and another sac bunt.
Maryland finally got on the scoreboard with a two out rally in the seventh. Anthony Papio grounded a single through the right side. He scored when Jose Cuas drove an opposite field double into the right field corner but Purdue got the run right back tallying once in the home seventh.
The Terps went in order in the eighth and trailed by two as they came to bat in the ninth. Brandon Lowe led off with an infield single and Kevin Martir poked a 1-0 pitch through the hole at short. The runners moved up on a passed ball and Purdue starter Kevin Downs plunked Papio with a pitch to load the bases.
Following a pitching change, Cuas walked driving in his second of the game and pulling the Terps within one at 3-2. Tim Lewis reached on a fielder’s choice grounder to short and Martir came across with the tying run. After Kengo Kawahara struck out, Szefc rolled the dice by asking pinch hitter Kevin Biondi to bunt. The Illinois freshman executed the play perfectly and Papio scored what proved to be the winning run.
Szefc brought in Maryland’s all-time saves leader Kevin Mooney to close out the game. Mooney gave up a one out single to Kyle Wood but induced a second to short to first double play from Brett Carlson to season the 4-3 win. Mooney was credited with the win – his first of the season.
The Terps will take on the Delaware Blue Hens in a home and home pair of games beginning Tuesday afternoon. They’ll follow that with their final Big Ten home series when the Indiana Hoosiers come to College Park for a three game set beginning Friday the first of May.
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