No. 14 Wake Forest Holds On Against Maryland
Demon Deacons improve to 3-0 in ACC play.

March 16, 2003

Box Score

College Park, Md. - The Terps' sophomore combination of Justin Maxwell and Joe Sargent ignited a seven-run late-inning rally for Maryland (5-11, 0-3 ACC), but No. 14 Wake Forest (13-5, 3-0 ACC) ultimately prevailed 14-9 in one of the Terps' longest games ever.

Behind Sargent's two-run home run in the seventh and a base-clearing three-run double in the eighth, the Terps fought back from down 9-2 to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

But as dark rain clouds set in, the Wake offense brought a thunderclap of offense in the top of the 13th.

Steve Schmoll (1-3) pitched lights-out for four innings, but tired in the top of the 13th, giving up a bloop two-run single to Wake slugger Jamie D'Antona and a three-run home run to Jeff Ruziecki with two outs.

The Terps played Wake tough all weekend, scoring three runs off of star pitcher Kyle Sleeth and taking a one-run lead into the ninth on Friday, as well as fighting back and pushing today's game to extra innings.

For the series, the Terps scored a moral victory by cutting Wake's run total in half. While the Demon Deacons outscored Maryland 52-13 in three games last year, the margin of victory this year was closer at 31-16.

Today's game was the longest for the Terps since 1995's 19-inning marathon against Virginia Commonwealth on March 5.

The bottom of the lineup was potent for the Terps, with Maxwell collecting a career-high four hits, with two doubles and a home run. Sargent's second career home run came in his first start since March 8. He went 2-for-4 in the game with two walks and a career-high five RBI.

Maryland hit two home runs in the game after hitting just one in the past seven games. Mike Costantino extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 2-for-5 and raising his average to a team-leading .364. Will Frazier holds the longest hitting streak this year for the Terps at eight games.

Wake senior Ryan Hubbard was a pest on the basepaths for the Demon Deacons, collecting a school record seven hits - all singles - with five runs scored and four stolen bases. Hubbard has 20 stolen bases this year through 18 games, after swiping 19 in all of last season.

Hubbard, the second hitter in the lineup, and leadoff hitter Adam Bourassa went 10-for-14 with nine runs scored and five stolen bases.

Wake stranded 16 baserunners in the game, and 41 for the weekend.

Maryland had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the tenth when Costantino just missed his first career home run with a double off the top of the center field fence, and advanced to third on a bobble by center fielder Bourassa. After intentional walks of Ray Gemmill and Frazier, the Terps were poised to score, but Costantino was picked off at third, followed by a called strikeout of Sargent.

Pinch-hitter Bobby Ryan hit a grounder through the legs of first baseman Ruziecki, but second baseman Chris Getz was backing up the play and threw Ryan out.

Schmoll pitched more innings in relief (4.2) than starter Sean Kane, who left after 4.1 innings following a rare relief appearance on Friday.

Wake reliever Adam Hanson went the distance after allowing Sargent's three-run, game-tying double in the eighth. He went 5.1 innings for his second win of the season.

Jamie D'Antona continued to crush Terp and NCAA pitching, hitting two doubles off the top of the right field fence, bringing his series totals to 10-for-17 (.588), three doubles and 10 RBI.