Late rally lifts Maryland past Bryant on Friday

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Bryant University baseball team led 1-0 after 5 1/2 innings but the University of Maryland scored seven runs in its final three at-bats to take the opening game of a three-game series, 7-1, on Friday afternoon at Bob 'Turtle' Smith Stadium.

With the loss, the Bulldogs (3-8) are now 1-6 all-time against the Terrapins (7-5), winners of five straight games.

Bryant led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth but the Terps scored twice in the sixth, three times in the seventh and added two insurance runs in the eighth. In the sixth, Marty Costes singled and Brandon Gum walked to open the inning. After a sac bunt advanced both runners, Will Watson hit a bloop single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. Madison Nickens followed with a sac fly to center to give Maryland the lead.

Gum drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run in the seventh before Watson delivered a two-out, two-run single to left field, making it 5-1. Zach Jancarski and Costes added RBI singles in the eighth to close the scoring.

The Bulldogs grabbed their only lead of the game with a two-out rally in the fourth. Maryland starter Brian Shaffer set down the first 11 batters he faced before junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) hit an opposite field double to left field. Freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) followed with an RBI single to left on a 1-2 pitch to score Gasper.

That was all the Bulldogs would muster against Shaffer, as the righty allowed just five hits, walked one and struck out eight over seven innings to earn his first win of the year. Andrew Miller struck out five batters in two scoreless innings to close the door.

Jancarski, Costes and Gum, three of the top four hitters in the lineup, combined to score six of Maryland's seven runs. Watson finished the game with three RBI.

Sophomore Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) pitched well for the Bulldogs but suffered his third-straight loss. The lefty allowed just two runs on two hits but tied a career-high with six walks in 5 1/3 innings. Theetge held the Terps hitless until AJ Lee led off the fifth with a bunt single. He also pitched through trouble in the fourth, getting a pop up to the catcher and a ground ball to third to get out of a bases-loaded jam.

Senior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) led the Bulldogs with a pair of hits, including his third double of the season. Bryant left eight men on base in the game.

The Bulldogs and Terrapins continue their three-game series on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.