Maryland baseball edged by High Point, 2-1

In the opener of Maryland baseball’s weekend series, High Point silenced the Terps bats and hung on for a 2-1 win.

High Point paraded out a string of pitchers who combined to hold Maryland to one run on four hits. Brian Shaffer was the tough-luck loser, throwing a complete game. The Panthers bunched their five hits in the first and fourth innings and scratched across runs in both. The second run was unearned, and proved to be the difference.

Maryland’s line-up was shuffled a bit, as Zach Jancarski is day-to-day with a strained oblique muscle. Brandon Gum led off, and A.J. Lee was bumped up to second in the order. Marty Costes played center field, with Madison Nickens playing right and Will Watson in left.

High Point did what very few other teams have accomplished this season by scoring a first inning run off Shaffer. Conner Dunbar grounded a one-out double down the first base line, then going to third on a force out. Josh Greene hit a ball that Nick Dunn dove for and corralled, but couldn’t make the throw in time; the infield single scored Dunbar.

In the fourth inning, the Panthers started off with back-to-back singles. An errant throw by Justin Morris allowed the runners to advance a base. An unearned run scored on a force out at first, giving High Point a 2-0 lead.

After 11 Terrapin batters were retired in order, Dunn drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh. But he was stranded there. The Terps had managed only two hits and were running out of innings to come back.

Shaffer kept the Terps in the game, retiring 15 straight Panther batters in the fourth through eighth innings.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Lee singled to center. Costes drew a walk to put the tying run on base. Dunn flew out, but Watson blooped a single to bring home Lee. However, Cieri skied out to center field and the Terps’ rally fell short.

Maryland fell to 33-18 on the season. The teams will return to action Friday at 6 p.m. ET.