Terps Take One From Seminoles, Lose the Series

Editor’s note: Sorry I was unable to cover this weekend’s game in the usual fashion. This one of the busiest weekends I’ve had in, well, ever. We’ll be back to our normal schedule this week.

Maryland baseball played another big-time ACC series this weekend, hosting the #7 Florida State Seminoles in a three-game set. It was the third series against a top-ten opponent for the Terps this year – they took one out of four from Texas in the first weekend of the season and were swept by Virginia on the road – and Maryland was able to take some positives out of this series, as they managed to find a win and perhaps a new ace.

Curiously enough, Chuck Ghysels started the first game of the series on the mound for Maryland. Ghysels has spent most of the year as a reliever – he was expected to be the closer but was unable to hold on to that role – but has found himself starting in spots for the Terps.

After surrendering two runs in the top of the first on a James Ramsey single and a Jayce Boyd sacrifice bunt, the righty settled down, striking out six over the next two frames (both scoreless). However, he ran into trouble in the top of the fourth, walking two batters and hitting a third before Michael Boyden came in for him in relief.  All three runners eventually scored, and Ghysels finished the game allowing five runs (all earned) in three innings pitched with seven strikeouts against six walks and three hits.

Boyden faced three batters, walking two and allowing a single to the third, making way for Charlie Haslup. Haslup and Jimmy Reed each pitched three innings of scoreless relief, allowing only one hit between the two of them, but it was too little too late. Sean Gilmartin pitched six shutout innings for Florida State to improve to 6-0 on the year and Mack Waugh pitched the final three scoreless frames for his first save of the year. Although the Seminoles only had one more hit than the Terrapins (five to four), they took the first game 6-0.

In the second game, David Carroll continued his remarkable season, pitching 7 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts en route to his fifth win of the year. The junior transfer from Western Nevada, who is rapidly making his case to overtake Sander Beck as the team’s ace, lowered his ERA to 2.15 and got his second win over a top-ten team (he was the Terp to beat Texas earlier).

On the offensive side of things, Jake Stinnett went 2-3 with a walk and three RBIs. Two of those RBIs gave Maryland the lead they would not relinquish, as a fourth inning double down the left field line by the third baseman scored Korey Wacker and Alex Ramsay. The Terps won by a final score of 5-0.

The third game of the series did not prove very fortuitous for Maryland’s pitching. The Terps allowed 12 runs, and Reed was the only one of Maryland’s six pitchers on the day to pitch at least two innings. Again, the Terps were able to match the Seminoles’ hit production – each team had 13 – but Maryland was unable to capitalize on their base-running opportunities, falling in the final game of the series 12-3.

Maryland is now 13-15, and stand at 2-10 in the ACC. Florida State is 21-7 with an 8-4 conference record. The Terps travel to Morgantown to play West Virginia this week, facing the Mountaineers on Tuesday.