Maryland baseball: Wake Forest defeats Terps 6 - 4

Todays game had Maryland's Jake Stinnett (3 - 3, 2.16 ERA) against Wake Forest's  Sr. RHP Jake Fischer (3-2, 2.63 ERA).

Demon Deacons go deep early and jump out on top

Evans Stephens started things off for WF by doubling in the left field gap. Grant Shambley hit a chopper up the middle that Brandon Lowe was able to knock down for an infield hit. Charlie Morgan hit a routine fly to right that scored Stephens. Then Matt Conway hit a no-doubter to left field and the Demon Deacons led 3 - 0. Not an auspicious start but it was only the first inning.

Could the Terps respond? Yes. Anthony Papio hit a solid single to right. Kevin Martir followed that with an infield single to short. Blake Schmit tried to bunt for a hit but was thrown out at first. The Terps had runners on second and third with one out. Jose Cuas hit a Baltimore chop to third that scored Papio. After Andrew Amaro walked, Charlie White grounded out to second for the last out. But the Terps had scratched out an important run to cut the lead to 3 - 1.

With one out in the bottom of the second Jack Carey hit a shot to the center field warning track that Charlie White jumped for and hauled in while falling backwards. Lowe made a fielding gem on the next pitch as Stephens hit a liner that Lowe extended for and caught.

Cuas' double ties things up

Jack Fischer had the Terps pounding the ball into the ground during the first three innings. Papio led off the fourth getting hit on his foot. Martir worked a walk off Fischer. But Papio was picked off second and thrown out at third, with Martir going to second. Schmit walked and the prior pick-off really hurt. In fact, it cost the Terps a critical run. Cuas hit a double that scored both Terrapin runners and the game was tied. Amaro grounded to second that sent Cuas over to third. White grounded out to first to finish the Terps' fourth.

It was now up to Stinnett to foil the Demon Deacons. He did that in the fourth, retiring the side with his first two Ks and a ground out. Stinnett repeated that in the fifth inning. However Fischer also seemed to have sorted things out and (with the exception of Cuas' second hit) sailed through the fifth and sixth innings.

Conway hits one out again and Wake Forest regains the lead

Stinnett struck out the first two batters in the sixth and seemed to be in cruise control. But Conway took Stinnett deep for his second home run of the game. The Demon Deacons regained the lead at 4 - 3 heading into the seventh. In the top of the seventh the Terps went down in order. Stinnett baffled the Wake Forest hitters in the bottom of the inning as he struck out the side.

In the top of the eighth the Demon Deacons closer, RHP Aaron Fossas, came in to pitch. Fossas got the Terps 1-2-3 to preserve the Wake Forest lead. The Demon Deacons scratched out two big insurance runs in their half of the eighth. Carey grounded a ball off Stinnett's glove. Schmit's throw was a bit low and Wade couldn't hold on. It was ruled an infield hit. Evans walked and things looked bleak. Jared Price came in to pitch for the Terrapins. Shambley sacrificed and Price threw to third; a close play that was ruled in favor of the runner. Wake Forest had the bases loaded and no one out. Ben Brewster relieved Price. Brewster hit Morgan and a run came home. Conway walked and Wake Forest led 6 - 3. Brewster avoided further damage via a ground out, strike out, and a fly to right.

In the Terrapins' ninth Schmit grounded out. Cuas walked and Montville pinch hit for Amaro. Fossas got Montville swinging. White hit a shot that the second baseman knocked down but had no play on. Lowe came to the plate representing the tying run; he hit a single to right that scored Cuas. Fossas got Wade to hit a grounder to second and the Demon Deacons prevailed 6 - 4.

Jake Stinnett took the loss to fall to 3 - 4. Tough loss to take as Stinnett was in charge except for Matt Conway. Jack Fischer got the win to go 4 - 2. Aaron Fossas recorded his seventh save of the season.