University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
#21/#24 Maryland
Blue Hen Bats Cool Off, Fall to No. 21 Maryland 5-3
4/28/2015 7:06:00 PM | Baseball
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – In the first of two games this week between the Blue Hens and Terrapins, No. 21 Maryland's pitching cooled the University of Delaware's bats Tuesday as the Hens fell to the Terps 5-3 in a non-league matchup at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.
After scoring 55 runs in its previous five games, the Delaware (18-16) bats were kept in check by the Maryland (31-13) pitching staff in the loss.
Terrapin starter Brian Shaffer pitched five scoreless innings, while the trio of Ryan Selmer, Zach Morris, and Kevin Mooney pitched the final four innings without surrendering an earned run to close out the win. Maryland entered the game ranked in the Top 25 nationally by USA Today (#21), Baseball America Magazine (#21), D1Baseball.com (#20), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers (#23), and Collegiate Baseball Magazine (#24).
Jim Sherman. “Kevin Milley threw really well and gave us a chance, but our bats could not cash in enough runs. The guys are excited to get another shot at Maryland tomorrow.”After both teams went scoreless in the first two frames, Maryland drew first blood in the third inning on an RBI single from Jose Cuas. Milley then forced Anthony Papio to hit into a double play with the bases loaded to prevent any further damage.
A Kevin Smith home run in the fifth and a two-run single from LaMonte Wade in the sixth inning gave Maryland a 4-0 lead, but the UD bats rallied in the seventh.
The Blue Hens recorded three runs on three hits in the frame to pull Delaware to within one run. Brock Niggebrugge batted in Greg Olenski on a single before Gary Jones crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give the Hens their second run of the day. Joe Giacchino then wrapped up the scoring on an RBI single to score Niggebrugge.
Andrew Pechstein held the Terrapin bats scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, but the Blue Hens were unable to take advantage and went down in order in the top of the eighth.
Maryland then added an insurance run in its half of the inning on a Cuas solo home run to give the Terps a 5-3 advantage.
Delaware did not threaten in the ninth as Jones, Nick Liggett, and Ty Warrington went down in order to close out the game.
Olenski continued his hot hitting with a team-high two hits and now has 12 hits in his last six games, while Zach Lopes, Giacchino, Niggebrugge, and Liggett each accounted for one hit.
Delaware and Maryland will square off again in less than 24 hours as the two teams will reconvene Wednesday at Bob Hannah Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
· Maryland now leads the all-time series 22-12-1.
· Niggebrugge extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
· UD did not record an extra-base hit in Tuesday's game.
· Lopes has hit safely in 25 of his last 27 games.
· UD was 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
· Milley suffered his third loss of the season vs. Maryland as the lefty gave up four earned runs on five hits in six innings of work. Milley also lost a decision last season vs. Maryland in his first collegiate start.
· Delaware has lost six of its last nine road contests and is 4-8 on the road this season.
AGATE:
Delaware...............000 003 000 - 6 - 3 - 0
Maryland.................001 012 01X - 5 - 8 - 1
D: Milley, Pechstein (7), Donkin (8); M: Shaffer, Selmer (6), Morris (7), Mooney (8); DP: M - 1; LOB: D - 5 , M - 7 ; 2B: Smith (M); 3B: Wade (M); HR: Smith (M), Cuas (M); SB: Olenski; WP: Shaffer (3-0); LP: Milley (3-3); Sv: Mooney (5); Attendance: 329.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Joe Wirth | jwirth@udel.edu (email) | 302-831-6519 (office) | 484-883-2804 (cell)
