After a string of walks put Terrapins baseball players on base, a catcher, teammate or coach would approach the mound and talk with High Point right-hander Andre Scrubb. A trainer even checked on the junior hurler’s right arm at one point.
All those conferences at the mound and a medical observation – Scrubb threw a pitch with the trainer watching from behind the mound – didn’t help Scrubb’s command. He issued seven walks and surrendered six runs in less than two innings.
The Terps took advantage of those control issues, plus a few timely defensive miscues, and jumped out to a 10-run lead after three innings. They led by eight runs or more the rest of the way in a 13-5 win over High Point at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The victory gives the Terps a winning record for the third time this season and the chance to capture a series victory Sunday.
Left fielder Marty Costes, who hit two two-run bombs, led the offense that tallied 11 hits and drew 11 walks. Second baseman Nick Dunn also had team-highs in runs (three) and walks (three).
“[Scrubb] is a pro prospect,” coach John Szefc said. “He just lost the zone. Usually when you’re facing a guy that’s a prospect you’re going to have to really work for it and he gave us a lot of freebies, which is nice.”
In Scrubb’s first six starts, he issued 18 walks in 36.2 innings. But he couldn’t locate the strike zone from the start Saturday. He walked the first two batters he faced on just nine pitches. The Terps’ first run came on a wild pitch. And he sealed his fate with four consecutive walks with two outs in the second. The last base on balls drove in a Terps run and led to Scrubb’s departure.
The Panthers’ relievers didn’t fare much better with hits replacing walks. After the Terps had eight walks and one hit in the first two innings, they had 10 hits and three walks in the final seven frames.
Eight Terps in the starting lineup finished with at least one hit and seven drew at least one walk as they bounced back from a seven-hit performance in a 7-2 loss Friday.
Terps right-hander Taylor Bloom picked up his fourth win of the season. The sophomore surrendered four runs in 5.2 innings on 11 hits, zero walks and two strikeouts.
High Point (19-8) tallied 14 hits, three more than the Terps, but it wasn’t enough.
In the first inning, the Terps (14-13) scored four runs without producing a hit. Scrubb issued three walks in the frame. The crucial play of the inning was an error, though.
With two outs and the bases loaded, center fielder Anthony Papio hit a high fly ball to shallow center. High Point shortstop Chris Clare drifted onto the outfield grass but the ball glanced off the outside of his glove allowing three Terps to score.
“He doesn’t drop the pop up it’s 1-0 going into the second it’s a whole different game,” Szefc said. “That’s to me really the play of the game.”
After Scrubb exited the game the following inning, the Terps took advantage of another defensive miscue with two outs and the bases loaded. Right-hander Michael Hennessey and first baseman Carson Jackson didn’t communicate and let a foul pop-up land in between them. Two pitches later, shortstop Kevin Smith drew an RBI walk to increase the lead to 6-0.
The Terps’ scoring output continued in the third highlighted by a two-run homer from Costes.
“I found my right pitch,” Costes said. “Laid off some good ones.”
After the game, Szefc heaped praise on Costes while speaking to a gaggle of reporters. As Szefc complimented Costes’ approach at the plate, Costes stood behind the fourth-year coach and fidgeted. The freshman, so relaxed at the plate, appeared uncomfortable with Szefc’s positive words.
But he and the Terps earned it Saturday.
