@CanesBaseball Drops Series Finale to Terps

April 12, 2013

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Miami Hurricanes were unable to finish off their sweep of Maryland Sunday afternoon at Shipley Field, dropping the series finale to the Terrapins by a final score of 7-2.

For the first time this weekend, it was Maryland who opened the game’s scoring, tagging sophomore starter Andrew Suarez for a lone run in the third inning.

The hosts loaded the bases with just one out in the frame on two walks and a bunt single. Suarez (2-3) did well to limit the damage, holding the Terrapins to just one run on a sacrifice fly from LaMonte Wade. With two runners on base, Suarez induced a soft groundout from Anthony Papio to end the threat, holding the deficit at just 1-0.

Suarez evaded a potential jam in the fourth after Terps’ infielder Jose Cuas reached third base on a flyball mishandled by senior Chantz Mack to lead off the inning. Freshman shortstop Brandon Lopez looked Cuas back to third on a grounder for the first, while Suarez got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

After struggling to generate much offense off Maryland starter Jake Stinnett (4-3) in the early going, the Hurricanes (24-15, 8-10 ACC) knotted the game at one in the top of the sixth. Junior Tyler Palmer, who connected for an RBI single in Saturday’s 5-3 victory, was plunked by a Stinnett offering in the back and slid in safely with a steal of second base.

The steal would prove crucial, as senior Chantz Mack laced an 0-2 pitch for an opposite field double into the leftfield corner. Palmer raced home from his perch at second, as Miami tied the game at 1-1.

The Terrapins (19-15, 5-13 ACC) wasted little time in regaining the lead, plating three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-1 advantage. Maryland loaded the bases with just one out on three singles, and squeezed in a run on a successful bunt that Suarez was unable to handle.

After recording the second out on a well-handled play by Barr, a wild pitch to the backstop and an infield RBI single from Blake Schmit plated two more Terps runs. Freshman reliever Thomas Woodrey entered the game in relief of Suarez, inducing the final out of the sixth on a groundout from Charlie White.

Miami got one back in the eighth, and Mack was once again the catalyst for the rally. The senior roped his second double of the game into the rightfield corner, and stole third to set up the scoring opportunity. An opposite-field RBI single from senior Alex San Juan plated Mack, as Miami cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Hurricanes were unable to complete the comeback, however, as Maryland tacked on three runs in the bottom of the eighth helped snap Miami’s three-game winning streak.

With their series against the Terrapins complete, the Hurricanes will return to Alex Rodriguez Park for the opener of a five-game homestand Wednesday. First pitch for the midweek tilt with Bethune-Cookman is set for 6 p.m.