Maryland baseball: FSU's Compton two-hits Terps in 7 - 0 shutout

Game three was the rubber game of the series, after the Seminoles won 15 - 3 in the opener and Maryland bounced back to win the second game 5 - 1. Today's game featured a pair of sophomore right-handers: Maryland's Jared Price ((1-1, 5.27 ERA) vs. Mike Compton (1-0, 2.70 ERA). Compton had a great freshman season registering 12 wins. He sat out all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

[Note: Today's game started at 11:00 AM due to the Terps having to catch a 7:10 PM flight from Jacksonville back to DC. No inning could begin after the 2:45 PM deadline.]

Three frames and nothing on the board

Both pitchers started off strong. Compton retired the first nine hitters, four on strike outs. Price issued a walk and a HBP but no hits in his first two innings. However the Seminoles started something in their half of the third. DeLuzio roped a single to left and was bunted over to second by De La Calle. Delph hit a nubber to Cuas for the second out, but DeLuzio got to third. Gonzales skied out to White which ended the threat.

Seminoles have a big fourth inning

Compton breezed through the fourth, allowing only a single by LaMont Wade. However Price struggled in the fourth. Stewart got a free pass. On a 2 - 0 pitch Knief pulled a shot down the third base line for a double. Brizuela walked on four pitches, loading the bases with no outs. Nogowski chopped one that hit the third base bag and two runs scored. Sansone singled and FSU led 3 - 0. DeLuzio hit a grounder that Schmit charged but couldn't field and another run scored. That was it for Price and Bobby Ruse came in to pitch. De La Calle popped up for the first out. A fly out to White scored FSU's fifth run of the inning. Gonzales walked, then Stewart singled in the Seminole's sixth run. Ruse got a K for the third out, thankfully ending the inning.

Compton keeps Maryland bats silent

Compton began the fifth after sitting for 25 minutes. It had no effect as he set down the Terps 1-2-3. The bottom of the fifth started with Brizuela getting plucked hit by Ruse. Zach Morris was brought in from the bullpen for the Terps. After a fly out Sansone became the second Seminole batter in the inning to be hit by a pitch. DeLuzio walked which loaded the bases. De La Calle hit a sacrifice fly to left, extending FSU's lead to seven runs. A ground out ended the inning.

Compton remained strong. He put down the Terps in order in the sixth and seventh innings, having retired 10 straight Terps. Compton had faced only one batter over the minimum through seven.

Compton struck out the first two hitters in the eighth. Schmit send a grounder up the middle for the Terps' second hit. Rescigno pinch hit and hit a grounder to short that Gonzales misplayed. The Terps finally had a runner in scoring position. But Amaro grounded out and the Terps remained scoreless.

Taylor Stiles pitched the eighth for the Terps and retired all three batters.

Compton was on the mound in the ninth to try for the complete game shut-out. He did that, once again retiring the Terps in order, and FSU had taken the rubber game 7 - 0.

Compton's line was great: 9 innings, two hits, 10 strike outs (a career high). no runs, no walks, and 107 pitches (80 were strikes). Tough loss for the Terps but they did manage to take one of three from the Seminoles for the third straight year. I'll have more to say in my series wrap-up tomorrow.