For eight innings, the Terrapin baseball team was clearly the better of the two teams on the field at Shipley, but of course that doesn’t count for anything in the end, and the Terps will be able to point to a few key moments in the game as the primary reasons why they were on the wrong end of the 4-3 final score v. Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon.
The Terps got one of their best starts of the year from sophomore Brett Harman, who set a new career-high in innings pitched (7) and strikeouts (10) and allowed just two earned runs. Harman and Adam Kolarek combined to hold the Hokies to just four hits, unfortunately the Hokies scored four runs in the fifth inning on three straight doubles and a costly throwing error and Virginia Tech’s pitching staff made those runs stand up.
After both Harman and Hokie starter Justin Wright made quick work of the batting orders through the first three innings, the Terps struck in the bottom half of the fourth when third baseman Mike Murphy cranked a home run over the left field fence to put the team up 1-0.
Unfortunately, the lead should have been 2-0 if not for a costly baserunning blunder. Shortstop David Poutier led off the inning by working a walk and right-fielder A.J. Casario followed him by lifting a easy pop fly into shallow left field. Poutier had to go about halfway because it looked like the ball might drop, but he strayed a little too far from the bag and when Hokie left-fielder Austin Wates made the catch he was able to double up Poutier by a mile.
The lead didn’t last long as with one out in the fifth Harman threw really his only three bad pitches of the game, unfortunately the Hokies made him pay by hitting back-to-back-to-back doubles to go up 2-1. Then, with a runner on second, Hokie DH Steve Domecus surprised everyone by dropping a perfect bunt down the third baseline. Murphy charged the ball and tried to make a tough throw across his body. In retrospect he probably should have just kept the ball as he threw it well past first baseman Will Greenberg and the runner from second scored and Domecus made it all the way to third and scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly to put the Hokies up 4-1.
Had Murphy held onto the ball only one run would have scored on that sacrifie fly and the Hokies would have only scored three runs. Murphy made almost an identical error the night before that proved costly as well. It is hard to blame the senior however as he has made plays like that before and if the throw had been on target he would have got Domecus by a good margin.
Maryland got two back in the bottom of the sixth when Matt Murakami, who is having a fantastic series at the plate, led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to second when Poutier walked. Everyone in the building, including the Hokies and the majority of the press box thought Coach Rupp would have Casario bunt with a lefty-lefty matchup, but Casario proved everyone wrong by doubling into right-center, scoring Murakami. Murphy followed Casario and put a charge into a ball but hit it right at the shortstop. Poutier scored but Casario was forced to stay at second. But the Terps couldn’t push anymore across as Greenberg struck out and after catcher Mike Moss was hit by a pitch, center-fielder Dan Benick grounded out to third.
The Terps bad luck struck again in the eighth. Rupp took the bat out of the red-hot Poutier’s hand by having him bunt for a hit with failed. But then Casario chopped one over the pitcher’s mound and beat out the throw from the second baseman. Murphy worked a full count after Casario, and with the crowd on their feet he drilled a ball back up the middle that would have been a hit in most occasions. Unfortunately Rupp made the reasonable decision to put on the hit and run, and Hokie second baseman Michael Seaborn was rushing to cover second base and was in perfect position to field Murphy’s grounder, step on second, and fire to first to complete the double play and end the inning.
You could see the look of frustration on the faces of the coaches after the game and pitching coach Jim Farr probably said it best when he said “it’s just a shame to lose a game like this when our pitchers had such a good day.” But the series isn’t over and if the Terps want to keep any hope of making the ACC Tournament alive they are in a must-win situation tomorrow.
Farr has decided to start senior Brett Jones (0-0, 9.49 ERA) but said after the game that he only expects Jones to throw between 70 and 80 pitches realistically. Jones has been battling shoulder soreness and has struggled with his control as he is leading the Terps in walks issued with 24 in 24.2 innings, but Farr thought that the Hokie lineup was susceptible to right-handed pitching and thinks if Jones can consistently find the strike zone they will be in good shape.
One thing is for sure though, it’s gut-check time for the Terps and Rupp made that very clear when he said, “Tomorrow we are going to find out what this team is made of.”