Tigers Sweep Terps

March 19, 2001

College Park, MD – After playing eight innings Saturday, the Clemson baseball team finished Saturday’s game Sunday, taking a 9-6 decision from Maryland at Shipley Field in College Park. The two teams then played the series finale, with Clemson picking up the win, 7-0.

With the two victories, the Tigers are now 13-5 and a perfect 3-0 in the conference. The Terrapins fall to 5-12 overall and 0-3 in the ACC.

In the first game, Clemson completed the 9-6 win. The game, which took two days to complete, was the third-straight win of the season for the Tigers.

Clemson got on the board early, scoring two runs in the third and three in the fourth. The Tigers used four hits in the third to account for their two runs. In the fourth, Clemson added three more hits to build its lead to 5-0.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning, Sean Lomas (Brewster, N.Y.) drove in Maryland’s first run of the game with a single to right, scoring John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.), to cut the Tiger lead to 5-1.

Clemson would add a run in the fifth and sixth innings to push their lead to 7-1 before the Maryland bats awoke. The Terps scored four runs in the seventh to close the deficit to 7-5. Matt Swope (New Carrollton, Md.) started things with a RBI double to left center, scoring Ray Gemmill (Silver Spring, Md.), for the Terps’ first run of the inning. Pinch hitter Anthony Buffone (Manalapan, N.J.) would deliver the next run, with a single down the left field line, making the score 7-3. Then with two outs, Steve Oursler (Clinton, Md.) nailed a double down the left field line, scoring two, to put the Terps right back into the game at 7-5.

Clemson would score again in the ninth before the rain hit and the two teams finished today. The Terps did manage to plate one run in the bottom of the ninth to end the scoring.

Ryan Childs (1-1) earned his first victory of the season for Clemson by pitching 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. Maryland starter Mark Martin (Manassas, Va.) suffered the loss and is 2-2 on the year.

Three Terps had two hits on the day including Brian Patenaude (Marietta, Ga.) with his 2-for-3 performance with two runs along with Buffone (2-for-2) and Gemmill (2-for-4).

In the final game of the series, Clemson starter Matt Henrie (1-0) was masterful, pitching six innings and allowing no runs on three hits in the Tigers’ 7-0 victory over the Terps. Steve Schmoll (Rockville, Md.) fell to 1-2 with the loss for the Terps.

The now play at Old Dominion on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to ACC play at Wake Forest next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.