Maryland baseball: Terps dominate Purdue 11-3, take the series

The Terps asserted themselves on Sunday with a convincing 11-3 victory over Purdue, and taking the series. Hunter Parsons was sharp in his weekend debut, and the Terps put together two five run innings to rout the Boilermakers. Anthony Papio hit his second home run in as many days, Nick Dunn had two hits and three rbis, and Zach Jancarski scored two runs.

Terps score five times in the third to take a commanding lead

Taylor Bloom missed his normal weekend start due to an ankle/leg injury. That allowed Hunter Parsons to make his third start for the Terrapins, the first in a B1G game. Parsons was impressive in his two previous midweek games. On Sunday he retired the first five Boilermakers before Brett Carlson crushed a two-out double off the wall in left center. Alex Olund lofted a shallow fly that fell in for an RBI single. That was the only run Purdue could produce against the freshman right hander through the first five innings.

The Terps scored five times in the third inning to give Parsons a comfortable margin to work with. Anthony Papio led off the Maryland half of the third by lacing a single to right, then promptly stole second base. Andrew Bechtold walked, as did Zach Jancarski to load the bases. Madison Nickens poked a single through the left side to tie the score. That led to Purdue making a surprising quick move to the bullpen, bringing in RHP Tanner Andrews. One out later Nick Dunn pulled a 2-0 pitched down the right field line for a two-rbi double. Another run scored when Nick Cieri hit a slow roller that the Boilermaker second baseman bobbled. The final run came home when Kevin Biondic laid down a textbook safety squeeze.

Maryland pushed their lead to 6-1 in the next inning. Papio continued his hot hitting, launching a missile to right for his third home run of the year, and his second in two games.

Purdue edges back

Purdue scored in a run in Parson's final inning of work. James Jewell doubled into the left field corner, then came around on a two-out double by Carlson.  Parson's final line: 6ip, 2r, 2er, 7h, 0bb, 5k, 98tp.

Robert Galligan took the hill for the Terps in the seventh, and the senior had some difficulty with the strike zone. He walked Ted Snidanko, who went to second on a wild pitch. Harry Shipley blooped a double just off the chalk down the left field line to cut the Terrapin lead to 6-3. Galligan struck out the next two hitters, both on full counts. Ryan Selmer relieved Galligan, and he got the pesky Jewell to ground out to him.

Terps put the game away in the seventh inning

The Terps responded in their half of the inning putting up their second five spot on the day, in part thanks to some shoddy fielding by Purdue. With one out, Jancarski hit a grounder to third base, and Carlson's throw was off the mark. Nickens laid down a bunt single, then Kevin Smith hit an RBI single to push the lead back to four runs. On a hit and run Dunn showed great bat control, pushing an RBI single through the left side. After Cieri flied out, Biondic hit a grounder to short that Shipley tried to backhand, but the ball went off his glove for a two-base error, scoring Smith. Marty Costes lined a single to center and went to second on a poor throw home by Kyle Johnson. Maryland was in front 11-3.

Selmer had a 1-2-3 eighth inning, as did John Murphy in the ninth.

With the win the Terps once again move to three games over .500 at 21-18, 7-5 in the B1G. Hunter Parsons improved to 2-0 on the year.

Three things to know:

1. It's not easy sweeping an opponent in division play, even one that is inferior in talent. There are so many quirky things in baseball, and a pitcher might not have his usual stuff on a given day. Friday's game was an aberration, and the Terps dominated the next two games against the last-place Boilmakers.

2. On Saturday I had a chance to ask coach Szefc about the success Kevin Biondic and Marty Costes were having. Szefc praised Biondic as "a blue collar type of player, one who always takes extra batting practice". In terms of Costes' plate discipline, Szefc remarked that Costes had the best of any freshman. Szefc also went on to praise Costes' play in left field, "considering he hadn't played the outfield before college". Costes proved Szefc right in the eighth inning of Sunday's game with a diving catch that took away a Purdue extra base hit.

3. Hunter Parsons has now thrown three straight quality starts. The freshman is demonstrating why the coaches felt confident enough in his abilities to let him start the rubber game of the series.