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Baseball Drops Series Opener at Virginia Tech, 8-7
April 4, 2008
BLACKSBURG, VA. - The University of Maryland baseball team dropped its series opener Friday afternoon at Virginia Tech, 8-7, despite dominating early. The Terps (16-14, 3-10 ACC) led 5-0 through three innings, but Sean O'Brien slugged three homers for the Hokies (11-18, 1-12 ACC) in the comeback win. The Terps jumped on the Hokies early, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a single by Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Northwest). Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep) then attempted to advance the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Murphy laid down an excellent bunt and Tech catcher Anthony Sosnoskie threw the ball away on the throw to first, scoring Braun and allowing Pupa and Murphy to advance to third and second, respectively. Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul's) brought in Pupa with a ground-out to make it 2-0 Terps. Junior Gerry Spessard (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg) followed Durakis with an RBI triple to left-center field, the eighth triple of his career, which ties him for first all-time in the Maryland record books. Spessard scored the fourth run of the inning with two outs when Hokies starting pitcher Rhett Ballard uncorked a wild pitch. Maryland added a single run in the top of the fourth on an RBI double by shortstop Joe Palumbo (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic). Trailing 5-2 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Hokies scored four runs with two outs to take the lead against Terps starter Scott Swinson. O'Brien hit a two-run homer to left to make the score 5-4. Sosnoskie followed with a double to deep left and right fielder Klint Reed drove in the go-ahead run with a single to center field.
The Terps re-gained the lead in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer by Murphy off Hokie reliever Josh Wymer, his team-leading seventh of the season. Murphy's shot was a no-doubter that left fielder Steve Bumbry gave up on after one step and turned and watched it fly. However, the Terps' lead was short-lived as O'Brien hit his third home run of the game in the bottom of the seventh with a man on to put the Hokies up 8-7. Maryland couldn't mount a rally in the late innings and the Hokies took the win, their first conference victory of the season. Freshman Adam Kolarek (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) took the loss for Maryland. Wymer earned the win and Justin Wright recorded the final out to earn a save. Maryland fell to 2-7 in one-run games and 0-5 in conference games decided by one run. Braun extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a seventh-inning single. Pupa had three singles in the game. The second game of the series is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. -TERPS- |
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