The Terrapins baseball team struggled to start an offensive rally Friday in its game against Bryant.
In the fourth and fifth innings, the Terps loaded the bases with one out. They only scored one run during the two scoring chances, though.
So entering the bottom of the sixth inning, coach John Szefc’s team faced a two-run deficit. That’s when the Terps offense came alive.
The Terps scored four runs on three hits in the frame to take a 5-3 lead. Behind resilient pitching from right-hander Mike Shawaryn, the Terps held onto their lead the rest of the way for a 5-3 victory at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium to snap a three-game losing streak.
“That’s a good grinded out Friday night type win,” Szefc said. “Mike didn’t have his best stuff, but he really worked through it. That’s what you need your Friday night guy to do. They’re just as good as any team we’ll play in the Big Ten this year.”
The Terps (6-7) averaged nine runs in two games this week. But the pitching staff, with freshmen starting both contests, allowed an average of 14.5 runs as the Terps dropped both contests. Szefc said those were two of the worst pitched games he’s seen in four years as the Terps coach.
But the Terps got back into their weekend rotation Friday. Shawaryn, who gave up a season-high six runs last Friday, allowed three runs in seven innings as he earned his second win of the season. He didn’t shutdown the Bulldogs (8-3) early, though, as he walked a season-high five batters.
But he bounced back, and the offense continued to support its pitching staff, recording nine hits and seven walks.
“When we’re down, I know we’re going to break through at some point,” Shawaryn said. “They’re attacking guys out there hitting-wise, and I come in and I just need to attack guys too.”
Bryant (8-3) got on the board first in the fourth inning when designated hitter Brandon Bingel flied out to drive in center fielder Matt Albanese.
After Terps designated hitter Nick Cieri was tagged out at home in the bottom of the fourth inning to end the frame, the Bulldogs added two more runs in the fifth inning.
Szefc said the most important part of the game occurred in the fifth inning when the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out after the two scores. The fourth-year coach almost replaced Shawaryn with left-hander Robert Galligan, but the junior struck out the next batter and induced a fly out to end the inning without more damage.
The ace said he got away from challenging hitters early in that frame, but he was focused on keeping the game close.
“He was at that point there where he had to say, ‘I’m going to get this thing back or I’m not,'” Szefc said. “If he gives him a three-run inning there, who knows where that’s going. Mike’s been the master of minimizing it in his three years. That was vintage Mike Shawaryn right there.”
And the Terps offense followed through in the next two innings.
Szefc’s squad recorded its first run in the bottom of the fifth inning when shortstop Kevin Smith drove in catcher Justin Morris. And in the following inning, the offense performed like it had in its previous two contests this week, as center fielder Anthony Papio began the barrage with an RBI double.
At first, assistant head coach Rob Vaughn signaled Papio for a bunt. But he changed his mind on the third pitch, and Papio, who was hitting .143 entering Friday, took advantage of a fastball to help the Terps get going.
“If he missed out over the plate today, we were going to get the swing off,” Papio said. “We did a pretty good job knowing where the strike zone is.”
Left-hander Tayler Stiles, who allowed five runs in 2.1 innings Wednesday, threw two scoreless relief innings to seal the Terps’ first victory since last Saturday.
This season, the Terps haven’t had many days when the pitching staff and the offense have gelled. Friday, though, the Terps had a complete performance at the plate and in the field.
“We have great defense and we have great offense,” Shawaryn said. “When we’re able to put it together, it’s fun to watch.”
