Terps take series opener from Wolfpack in 10-0 rout

The NC State Wolfpack came to College Park for the final ACC regular season series between the schools. The three game series at Shipley Field at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium opened Friday night with a matchup between two of the ACC's best, Maryland's Jake Stinnett and NC State's Carlos Rodon. It turned out to be no contest and the Terps overwhelmed the Pack with a 10-0 shutout.

Stinnett lived up to his part of the bargain retiring State in order in the top of the first. Rodon looked as though he‘d do the same retiring the first two batters including striking out Charlie White to open the inning. However, he got into hot water when he hit Kyle Convissar on the elbow and followed that by walking Kevin Martir. Mike Rescigno, starting in place of LaMonte Wade tapped a slow roller down the third base line that Wolfpack third baseman Andrew Knizner threw into right field. The error allowed Convissar to come around to score and give the Terps a 1-0 lead. The Terps could do no further damage as Mike Montville struck out to end the inning.

After retiring the first five, Stinnett gave up a two out single in the Wolfpack second but escaped without further damage. The Terps had a chance to extend their lead in the second when Anthony Papio walked to open the bottom of the second. After Jose Cuas skied out to the warning track in right, Papio advanced to second on a wild pitch. Krysthian Leal, batting in the ninth spot, lined a 2-2 pitch to the right side. Wolfpack first baseman dove to his right but the ball trickled off his glove. Szefc aggressively sent Papio and the Terrapins' rightfielder was out by several steps. Though Leal stole second and advance to third when Brett Austin's throw sailed into centerfield, Rodon got out of the inning when he struck White out for the second time.

Stinnett got into hot water in the third when Nathan Hood reached on a throwing error by third baseman Jose Cuas. He got Garrett Suggs on a strikeout but Austin lined a single to right. Stinnett got the ever dangerous on a 2-2 pitch. The Terps' defense got their starter in deeper trouble when Leal, starting at second in place of the injured Brandon Lowe, failed to handle Trea Turner's liner. But Stinnett induced a routine grounder from Knizner and Cuas made the play asn the Pack left the bases loaded.

Another golden opportunity slipped past the Terps in their half of the third. With one out, Convissar smoked a low line drive off the fence in left. Martir lined the first pitch from Rodon into center but Convissar got a late start and only advanced only to third. Rodon buckled down and struck out Rescigno and Montville to end the inning.

After Stinnett struck out the side in the top of the fourth, The Terps put Rodon under pressure again in their half of the inning when Papio lined a single to right to open the inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. With the infield in, Rodon picked up his sixth strikeout of the game getting Cuas on a pitch in the turf. The infield remained drawn in when Leal topped a grounder to second. Papio broke on contact and just got his hand under Austin's tag to give their powerful righty a 2-0 cushion.

Stinnett kept his mojo going through the fifth and the Terps got to Rodon for six more in the bottom of the fifth. Kevin Martir started the inning with a line drive single to right center. After Convissar struck out, the Terps loaded the bases when Rescigno was hit by a pitch and Montville walked on a 3-2 pitch. State brought the infield in to double play depth and Papio obliged with a sharp grounder right to first baseman Jake Armstrong. Armstrong flung the ball where no one could catch it scoring the Terps third run and leaving the bases jammed. Cuas tried to bunt but this time Armstrong made the throw and got the force at the plate. Leal picked up an RBI on a walk. Second baseman Logan Ratledge misplayed Charlie White's twisting grounder and Papio scored giving the Terps a 5-0 lead and ending Rodon's night. Freshman righthander Joe O'Donnell replaced the NC State ace and Blake Schmit lashed his first pitch to the wall in left center for a bases clearing double. At the end of five, Maryland's lead had ballooned to 8-0.

Though the Terps add two runs  - both of them earned - in the bottom of the eight all that remained after the explosion in the fifth was to see if Stinnett would (1) set a career record for strikeouts and (2) get a complete game shutout. He answered the first affirmatively in the seventh when he picked up his twelfth. He finished with fourteen. Szefc answered the second in the negative when he brought Brandon Casas on to start the ninth.

Casas plowed through the Pack striking out the side to close out the 10-0 win moving Maryland to 3-4 in ACC play and 14-6 overall. Game two of the series is scheduled for 2 pm Saturday.