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March 10, 2005
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball program once again showed the ACC that they are no longer a team to be pushed around as they performed well enough to steal a double-header from the University of Maryland (8-4) at College Park. The Fighting Hawks (2-11) fell 3-2 in the first game on a walk-off hit-by-pitch and then 5-1 in the second despite giving up only three hits and never more than one in an inning. In the first game, Brandon McCabe continued his power onslaught as he crushed the first pitch he saw over the right-field fence to put the Fighting Hawks up 2-0. UMES starting pitcher, Jason Janeski began the game strong as he retired the first five batters he saw. However, the sixth batter was able to record a triple that was more luck than anything, as Greg Cathell slipped on the wet and icy outfield grass allowing the ball to fall just a few feet from him. The Terrapins were able to get that base runner across and cut the lead to 2-1. In the fourth inning, Maryland used small ball to tie the game at 2-2 as the lead off hitter singled, then advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Brian Jarosinski. With the game still knotted at 2-2, the Fighting Hawks threatened as they recorded a hit in every inning except the third inning. In the seventh inning, UMES had two on and one out before an inning ending double-play closed the door on the maroon and gray, because in the bottom of the final inning a lead off walk and a sacrifice eventually forced the Fighting Hawks to intentionally walk the bases loaded. With no where to put the batter a pitch just a bit too far inside struck the Terrapin batter and allowed the winning run to stroll across the plate.
Janeski ended up pitching four and one-third innings allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out two in the no-decision. Sean Davis (1-2) replaced Janeski and pitched well despite earning the loss as he went two and a third of an inning allowing one run on just one hit.
In game two, walks handcuffed the UMES pitching staff. The Fighting Hawks allowed only three hits on the evening and committed only one error, yet they allowed 13 base-runners as they walked seven and hit three more with pitches. In the third inning, Maryland took a 1-0 lead as two walks and a few sacrifices scored the first run of the game without a hit. However, UMES played some small ball as well as in the top of the fifth they tied the game at 1-1 on one of the most perfectly executed plays. With runners on the corners and one out, Eric Gaines, who three days previous drove in the game-winning run on a bunt base hit, put down a sacrifice suicide squeeze bunt that allowed all the runners to advance as he was the only option for the defense to make a play on. However, it all came crashing down on the Fighting Hawks in the bottom half of the inning when the Terps scored four runs on just one hit. Jarosinski led the inning off with a walk and then was sacrificed over to second. UMES then proceeded to walk the next two hitters to load the bases. Then a hit-by-pitch and a defensive error plated two runs, before a single capped the four run inning. Over the two games UMES and Maryland each had nine hits and just one defensive error, but the games were given away to the Terrapins as UMES walked 11 and hit four more batters compared to Maryland's three free passes and no hit batsmen. Morgan Schirmer led the way for UMES as he went 3-5 over the two games with a run scored. For the Fighting Hawks it was another step to proving themselves as an up and coming baseball program. Though the record of this team has dropped to 2-11, they are beginning to show teams that UMES is going to come in ready to play and in the very near future these games will start falling in win column for the Fighting Hawks. UMES will begin its MEAC regular season schedule this weekend as they host Coppin State University on Saturday and Sunday. They will play four games over the two days, with three counting toward the conference standings and the other will be considered a non-conference match-up. Both days will begin at 12:00 p.m at Hawk Stadium on the campus on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Maryland. |
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