Seventh-Ranked Clemson Completes Sweep of Maryland With 15-7 Win Sunday

April 9, 2006

Clemson, SC-

Seventh-ranked Clemson completed a sweep of Maryland with a 15-7 win over the Terrapins in front of 5,150 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Sunday. The 15 runs scored by the Tigers were a season high as Clemson won its ninth consecutive conference game and upped its record to 24-8, 9-3 in the ACC. Maryland dropped to 14-20, 6-12 in the ACC.

Brad Chalk was 3-for-4 with three runs scored for Clemson. Taylor Harbin, Andy D’Alessio, and Stan Widmann added two hits apiece for the Tigers. D’Alessio also had a game-high five RBIs on the afternoon. Jordan Wilson was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for Maryland.

Stephen Faris (4-0) allowed five runs (one earned) on seven hits in 6.0 innings pitched and picked up the win for the Tigers. Brett Tidball (3-5) surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits in 4.0 innings pitched and took the loss for Terrapins.

Tyler Colvin singled to right to lead off the second and stole second with one out. Ben Hall reached on a fielding error at third by Mike Murphy, advancing Colvin to third. Hall was picked off by Tidball, but a wild pitch allowed Colvin to score with two outs.

Singles by Adrian Casanova, Chalk, and Harbin loaded the bases in the third. With two outs, D’Alessio hit a grand slam to right. It was D’Alessio’s tenth homer of the season, second grand slam of 2006, and it also extended his hitting streak to 10 games. D’Alessio improved to 5-for-7 with two doubles, two home runs, and 17 RBIs with the bases loaded this season.

Maryland got its first baserunner of the day in the fourth when Gerry Spessard reached on an error by Widmann at short. Chad Durakis and Wilson followed with back-to-back singles, the latter of which plated Spessard, whose run was unearned.

Steve Braun tripled down the right field line to begin the fifth, and scored on a two-out single by Spessard. Braun’s triple was the first extra base hit for Maryland in the three-game series. Two walks surrounding Spessard’s single loaded the bases, but Faris got Durakis to ground to second to end the inning.

Chalk walked to begin the fifth, and scored on a two-run home run to left by Harbin, his second long ball of the season. Colvin walked, which brought an end to the day for Tidball. The Terrapins brought in Kevin Biringer, and Colvin stole second. D’Alessio followed with a single to center to bring home Colvin. D’Alessio stole second, and went to third on a soft single to right-center by Travis Storrer. Widmann then doubled off the fence in left to score D’Alessio. Casanova brought Storrer home with a sacrifice fly to left.

Maryland added three unearned runs in the sixth. Jordan Wilson singled to begin the inning, and Mike Murphy then hit a grounder to Widmann on a potential double play ball, but Widmann’s throw to second was wide of the bag, allowing Wilson to move to third and Murphy to go to second. Braun had an RBI groundout to third, and with two outs Matt Maropis doubled down the right field line to score Murphy and Nick Jowers, who had singled.

Clemson answered with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Chalk singled to begin the inning, and moved to second with one out when Colvin was hit by a pitch. With two outs, the Tigers executed a double steal as Chalk swiped third and Colvin stole second. It was Colvin’s third stolen base of the day. Hall walked with two outs to load the bases, and D.J. Mitchell, who entered the game for Storrer, reached on an infield single, allowing Chalk to score. Widmann followed with a looping single to right that scored Colvin and Hall. Pinch-hitter Alex Burg then doubled to left-center to score Mitchell and Widmann.

Terrapin pinch-hitter Jon Greenwhich doubled to right-center in the seventh to score Joe Palumbo, and Murphy had an RBI groundout to make the score 15-7.

Clemson returns to action Tuesday night at Western Carolina at 7:00 PM.