May 11, 2005

BOX SCORE

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Longwood University dropped an 8-5 baseball decision at the University of Maryland Wednesday at Shipley Field in College Park.  The Lancers dropped to 15-29 this season while the Terrapins improved to 24-30 with their home victory.  Longwood will play again this weekend, May 13-14, a three-game series at the College of William and Mary beginning Friday night in Williamsburg at 7 p.m..

At Maryland, Longwood took leads of 3-0 in the first inning, and 5-1 in the sixth inning against the Terrapins of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).  The Terps scored a run in the third inning, and tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth, adding two runs in the decisive seventh inning, and another insurance run in the eighth inning for the final three-run margin of victory.
    
Longwood had opened the game with three quick runs in the first as senior Chris Balus/Newport News (Denbigh) (3-4, RBI) doubled and later scored on a grounder from junior Danny McCraw/Pamplin (Randolph-Henry) (0-3, RBI).  Sophomore Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (0-4) scored on a passed ball before freshman Nick von Gersdorff/Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (2-4, RBI) added an RBI single later in the inning.  
    
Freshman Travis Lydon/Westlake, Ohio (St. Edward) (1-4, RBI) hit a solo home run in the sixth, his second this season, and Balus – who had his team-leading 26th stolen base this season - added an RBI single in the inning as well, and the Lancers seemed to have control at 5-1.
    
Maryland, however, had other ideas in its final regular season game before the ACC Championship.  The Terps scored four runs in their half of the sixth to tie the game and gain momentum en route to their triumph.  Maryland got four hits from Elliot Singletary (4-5, 2 RBI), including an RBI double in the sixth, and a solo home run in the eighth.  Chad Durakis (3-3, RBI) collected three hits, including an RBI single in the third, and Joe Palumbo (1-4, 2 RBI) had a two-run double in the sixth.  Will Frazier (1-5, RBI) hit a solo home run in the seventh, his second homer in two days against LU.
    
Balus (0-1) also took the mound loss in relief for Longwood with the final 2.0 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, all earned.  Freshman Isaac Weiderman/Chillicothe, Ohio (Huntington) had pitched the first 5.2 innings, scattering eight hits and four runs, three earned, with one strikeout.
    
Seth Overbey (2-1) earned the pitching win for Maryland in late relief with 2.0 scoreless innings, yielding just one hit with one strikeout.  Michael Meagher (4) got the save with the final 1.0 shutout inning, giving up a hit with one strikeout.
    
Longwood and Maryland were meeting for the first-time ever in the sport of baseball this week as the Terps now lead the brief series 2-0.