Third baseman Jose Cuas went 4-for-4 with two RBIs during the Terps’ 5-2 victory over VCU on April 1, 2014.
Terrapins baseball right-hander Jake Stinnett was in a jam. There was a runner on second with one out, and the Terps were already down 1-0 in the first inning of Friday’s series opener at Wake Forest.
On a 1-2 pitch, Demon Deacons first baseman Matt Conway launched the ball over the left-field fence, and the Terps’ deficit grew to 3-0.
Early runs doomed the Terps to a series loss to Wake Forest this weekend at Gene Hooks Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Terps, who are 0-9 when their opponent scores first, fell behind early Friday and Saturday and were unable to overcome those deficits. Still, they avoided a second straight series sweep yesterday by building a comfortable lead with runs in the first and third innings.
“It gives your starting pitcher a little bit of comfort, knowing he doesn’t have to pitch perfect,” coach John Szefc said yesterday. “It’s hard to pitch perfect, especially in a conference like this. So if nothing else, it’s a mental boost for the pitching staff to get ahead and keep tacking on runs like we did today.”
The Terps have one ACC series victory in five tries during a tough start to conference play, which featured matchups with No. 1 Florida State and No. 16 Clemson. But the Demon Deacons were the Terps’ first ACC opponent that entered the series unranked.
The Terps built a comeback bid Friday, and third baseman Jose Cuas’ two-RBI double down the left-field line tied the game 3-3 in the fourth. Cuas, who has been hitting well recently, went 6-for-12 with five RBIs and two runs this weekend.
But the Terps couldn’t come all the way back. Conway’s solo homer in the sixth inning Friday gave Wake Forest the lead for good, and Stinnett was knocked out of the game in a two-run eighth in the 6-4 loss.
The Terps outhit the Demon Deacons in Game 1, but Wake Forest was efficient and stranded four runners, half as many as the Terps. While Stinnett allowed five hits and two walks and struck out nine, he was charged with all six runs, the most he has given up in a single start this season, and fell to 3-4.
Right-hander Mike Shawaryn had his shortest outing of the season in Saturday’s Game 2, lasting 3.1 innings and giving up four runs in a 5-2 loss. That performance came a week after he gave up a season-high five runs in 4.1 innings to then-No. 20 Clemson. After winning five of his first six starts, Shawaryn has dropped his past two decisions.
But yesterday, the Terps pounced first, tallying a run in the first and two more in the third to build a 3-0 lead they didn’t relinquish. Left-hander Zach Morris made his first start and allowed four hits, four walks and two runs in 4.1 innings, the longest outing by a Terps Sunday starter since March 2.
“He made some big pitches when he had to,” Szefc said. “I thought it was definitely a sign of progress for him. I think he would say he’s got to throw more strikes. He’s got to command the zone better.”
When the Demon Deacons plated two runs in the fifth yesterday to cut the lead to one, the Terps responded by scoring seven runs in the next two innings in an 11-3 victory. It was the Terps’ highest run total against an ACC opponent this season. Center fielder Charlie White went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored, stealing two bases.
While the Terps were pleased to avoid the series sweep, they realize they’ll have to learn how to play from behind if they want to start clinching more series victories. Early run support and lock-down pitching won’t always be available.
“That’s something we got to work on as well, playing better from behind, and still being comfortable from behind,” White said. “When it is the other team taking the lead first, we haven’t always been the best at coming from behind.”
