BALTIMORE, Maryland March 23, 2014 - Five Maryland pitchers combined to limit No. 11 North Carolina State to two runs and nine hits, and Jose Cuas blasted his team-leading third homer, as the Terps downed the Wolfpack, 5-2, and swept the ACC conference series. Maryland has now won five straight games. The Baseball RPI has the Terps the No. 8 team in Division I. The Wolfpack have now lost six straight ACC games.
Terrapin Freshman Taylor Stiles, fresh off of his four-plus innings of shutout relief last weekend against powerful North Carolina, a performance that gained him his first collegiate victory. Today, Terp Coach John Szefc gave him his first collegiate start. He went three innings, giving up one run on four hits, walking one and striking out two. Bobby Ruse relieved Stiles to start the fourth and he was even better. Ruse, who got the win to improve to 2-0, pitched three and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, and in the process whiffed five Wolfpack hitters. Ben Brewster relieved Ruse with two outs in the seventh and got the final out without damage. Alex Robinson (two-thirds of an inning) and Kevin Mooney (one and one-third innings) finished up, with Mooney getting his fourth save.
Maryland got off to a fast start before about 400 Shipley Stadium fans, scoring twice in the first inning. With regular center fielder Charlie White sitting out, Blake Schmitt hit leadoff and walked to lead off. He was bunted to second by Lamont Wade. Then Kyle Convissar was hit by a pitch. Seconds later Convissar and Schmitt executed a beautiful double steal to Terps at second and third with one out. Catcher Kevin Martir hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Schmitt. After Anthony Papio walked, Mike Rescigno singled, scoring Convissar. The Wolfpack got one back in the second on a homerun by Logan Ratledge. The Terps got their two run lead back in the bottom of the sixth on a Jose Cuas RBI single. Cuas then gave the Terps more breathing room with his two-run homer in the eighth.
Maryland has now moved into a tie with Wake Forest for third place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. The Terps and Deacons are both 5-4 in the ACC, although Maryland has the superior overall record.
Virginia Gets 6 in 11th to top Miami, even series Virginia had lost the series opener and trailed in this one, 2-0, before rallying. The Cavaliers pounded out 16 hits, with every starter getting at least one. Junior Branden Cogswell had four of the hits and fellow junior Brandon Downes had three including a home run. After the Hurricanes struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab the lead, the Cavaliers battled back. They tied it in the seventh when Downes led off with his fourth homer of the campaign, and an RBI single by Cogswell. Then, in the 11th, Virginia sent ten hitters to the plate and scoring six runs. The big blows were a bases loaded single by Robbie Coman and a long double by Kenny Towns. The two teams conclude the series tonight on national TV (ESPNU, 7 pm).
The complete ACC standings and records are below.
ACC Standings:
Atlantic Division:
1. Florida State: 9 wins, 3 losses (19-4 overall)
2. Clemson: 6 wins, 3 losses (14-9 overall)
3. Maryland: 5 wins, 4 losses (16-6 overall)
4. Wake Forest: 5 wins, 4 losses (14-10 overall)
5. North Carolina State: 3 wins, 6 losses (14-8 overall)
6. Notre Dame: 1 win, 8 losses (8-14 overall)
7. Boston College: 1 win, 8 losses (7-13 overall)
Standings in the ACC Coastal Division:
1.Virginia: 5 wins, 2 losses (17-4 overall)*
2. Miami: 6 wins, 4 losses (13-11 overall)*
3. North Carolina: 5 wins, 4 losses (15-8 overall)
4. Virginia Tech: 5 wins, 4 losses (12-9 overall)
5. Duke: 4 wins, 5 losses (14-10 overall)
6. Pittsburgh: 4 wins, 5 losses (12-10 overall)
Late Conference Game Sunday night.
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