North Carolina State University Athletics
Maryland Downs Baseball, 6-3
3/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Maryland starter Casey Baron (3-0) earned the win after allowing two runs, both unearned, in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits, walked one and fanned three. Terp reliever Brett Cecil picked up his fourth save of the season, pitching the final 1 2/3 innings and giving up only two hits, while walking two and striking out one.
Wolfpack starter Andrew Brackman (3-1) was tagged with the tough-luck loss, thanks entirely to a bad third inning. Aside from the third, the Wolfpack righthander dominated the Terps. Brackman pitched a complete game, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits. He walked only one and struck out nine. Maryland got five of its six runs in the third and four of its six hits. Brackman retired the Terrapins in order every inning except the third, eighth and ninth. The Terps got a runner in the eighth on an error, but he was caught stealing to end the inning. Maryland got a run in the ninth without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Drew Martin and pinch-hitter Joe Florio led NC State offensively, each finishing with a pair of hits on the afternoon. Martin recorded a double and scored a run, while Florio had two RBIs. Wink Nolan led Maryland, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
The top of the third inning was the story of the game. Dan Benick led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a single to left by Wink Nolan. Steve Braun bunted the runners over, but all hands were safe when Brackman went to third to try and get the lead runner. Benick was called safe on the play, leaving the bases loaded with none out. A single through the right side by Joe Palumbo scored Benick for the first run of the afternoon, and a single to left by AJ Casario scored Nolan and Braun to make the score 3-0. Casario and Palumbo went to second and third, respectively, when left fielder Matt Payne overran the ball for an error.
Dan Melvin followed with a grounder to shortstop, but Ramon Corona’s throw to first was high for an error, scoring Palumbo from third and advancing Casario to third. Gerry Spessard made the score 5-0 with an RBI groundout to third. Brackman got the next two batters to fly out to end the inning without allowing any further damage.
The Wolfpack finally got something going on offense in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Howard led off and reached first on an error by third baseman Mike Murphy. With two outs and Howard at first, Drew Martin doubled down the left-field line to advance Howard to third. A single through the right side by pinch-hitter Joe Florio off reliever Mike Sufczynski scored both runners to make it 5-2.
NC State picked up another run in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Jeremy Synan singled up the middle. Cecil walked pinch-hitter Mike Roskopf to put runners at first and second. Wade Moore pinch-ran for Roskopf, and Cecil walked Payne to load the bases. Marcus Jones singled through the left side to score Synan, cutting the Terp lead to 5-3.
Maryland answered with another run in the top of the ninth to seal the victory. Murphy singled off a high chopper to left of the mound. Brackman walked his first batter of the afternoon to put runners at first and second with one out. Benick bounced into a force play, erasing Chad Durakis, who had walked. Murphy took third on the play and scored on Nolan’s single off of Brackman’s glove.
NC State will continue conference play this on Saturday in the second game of a three-game home series against Maryland. Game time is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC (88.1 FM) and on the internet on gopack.com through Pack Pass.
