Maryland baseball gets by Ole Miss 3-1 in first NCAA Tournament game

The Maryland Terrapins got some timely hitting early, five strong innings from recently name All-American Mike Shawaryn, one stellar play by Lamonte Wade, and strong relief from Robert Galligan, Bobby Ruse and closer Kevin Mooney to defeat the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 40th win of the 2015 season not only equals the record for most wins in a season set just last year but more importantly keeps Maryland in the winner’s bracket of the double elimination Regional.

The Terps got on top early scoring three times in their first at bat. After Wade grounded out to lead off the contest, Kevin Smith, Brandon Lowe and Kevin Martir put together a string of thee straight doubles that put the Terps on top 2-0. Jose Cuas singled to center but Martir only moved up to third. He was then caught in a rundown when Nick Cieri pushed a ball back to pitcher Christian Trent. AnthonyPapio walked to load the bases but Kevin Biondic struck out to end the inning.

After Shawaryn struck out Connor Cloyd to open the bottom of the first, the Rebels managed their only two his of the game on back to back one out singles. Shawaryn struck out the next two to kill the threat.

The Terps had chances in the second and fourth innings. They literally squeezed out a run in the fourth when Biondic scored on Smith’s squeeze bunt to Trent. But Maryland also stranded runners in scoring position in both frames.

Meanwhile, although he was struggling a bit with his control and consistently going into deep counts, Shawryn was simply plowing through the Ole Miss lineup. He retired the side in order in the second and third and got the first two outs to open the fourth.

He had retired 10 in a row before issuing a two out walk to Mississippi shortstop Errol Robinson and beginning one of the strangest sequences I’ve seen in quite some time. Beginning with the walk to Robinson, 12 of the next 13 Rebels’ batters failed to put the ball in play.

It went like this: After walking Robinson, Shawaryn hit catcher Austin Knight with a pitch but he struck out J.B. Woodman to end the inning. Shawaryn issued a lead off walk to  Kyle Watson to open the fifth but then struck out the side after allowing Watson to reach second on an errant pick off throw.

Things nearly came apart in the sixth inning. Colby Bortles started the inning with a routine fly to right. Shawaryn then walked the bases loaded and Jim Belanger, serving as interim coach for John Szecf’s two game suspension, decided he had seen enough. Shawaryn’s night ended with the sophomore having thrown 113 pitches over five and a third innings. He finished with nine strikeouts.

Robert Galligan came on in relief of Shawaryn and continued the string of walks as the Rebels pushed across their only run without benefit of a hit. Galligan then struck out Watson before finally put a ball in play smacking a line drive right at a perfectly positioned Lowe who made a leaping grab to end the inning.

Lowe got as far as third with one out in the Terps’ seventh after being hit by a pitch, moving to second on a wild and stealing third. He had two chances  – one on Martir’s grounder to third with the infield in and again on a wild pitch as the Rebels elected to intentionally walk Cieri when he worked a 3-0 count – but in both instances opted for the conservative choice and ended stranded at third.

Bobby Ruse came on to start the seventh for Maryland and retired the side comfortably. Sikes Orvis, who has 16 home runs on the year led off the eighth for Ole Miss and fouled off a few pitches before Ruse left one over the plate. Orvis jumped on it but Wade did this:

Ruse struck out Robinson and retired Knight on a nice running catch by Antony Papio on a ball hit to the warning track in right to end the inning.

Closer Kevin Mooney came in to start the ninth and put the Rebels down in order striking out all three batters. The save is Mooney’s ninth of the season and fourth since the start of postseason play.

The Terps will be back in action tomorrow when they will face the winner of the game between UCLA and Cal State Bakersfield. It will be a late one for those of us back here on the right coast. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 Eastern time.

 

Other Maryland Sports, Todd Carton
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