Bryant drops first game of Sunday's doubleheader, 9-2

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back on its way to a 9-2 victory over the Bryant University baseball team in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Bob 'Turtle' Smith Stadium.

The Terps (8-5) have now won the first two games of the series and seven-straight overall. The Bulldogs fall to 3-9 with the loss.

Maryland wasted little time on a cold Sunday afternoon, scoring three times in its first at-bat. Zach Jancarski led off the game with a walk and came around to score on a double to right center by Marty Costes. Will Watson added an RBI single and Kevin Smith made it 3-0 with a sac fly to center.

Bryant got a run back in the third on an RBI single from junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.). Freshman James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) walked and a two-out extended the inning for Gasper who drilled a single to right field.

The Terps answered with two runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to pull away. A bases-loaded walk and a ground out accounted for the two runs in the third, while Jancarski's two-run double plated the runs in the fifth. Brandon Gum capped the Maryland scoring with a two-run home run to left in the sixth.

Bryant scored its final run of the game without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. Freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) reached on an error, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored after consecutive ground outs.

Freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on four hits over 2 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four. Sophomore Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) and junior Jack Patterson (Suffield, Conn.) both were effective in long relief. Lacey allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings, and worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth. Patterson allowed two runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings.

Senior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) was the lone Bulldog to finish with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.

Maryland starter Taylor Bloom kept the Bulldogs at bay, tossing seven innings of two-run ball. Neither run was earned and Bloom surrendered four hits, walked two and struck out three. Costes and Jancarski each finished with three hits, while Costes and Gum combined to score six of Maryland's nine runs.

Bryant and Maryland wrap up their weekend series with a second game on Sunday.