By Jeremy Noel
Old Gold and Black Reporter
The Demon Deacon baseball team picked up three crucial wins in Atlantic Coast Conference play this past weekend as they swept three games from the University of Maryland. The Deacons opened with a 17-3 win April 17 and followed that with a 5-4 victory April 18, wrapping up the weekend with a 10-2 win in a rain-shortened affair.
The April 18 contest was never really in doubt as the Deacs quickly began their assault on Terrapin starter Brandon Agamemnone, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
In the first, the Deacons utilized the long ball for their offense as two two-run homers in the frame accounted for four of the runs. Freshman Corey Slavik began the fireworks when he took Agamemnone deep to right center field to score junior Jon Palmieri who had singled in the inning's first run. Three batters later, junior Andrew Riepe connected for his ninth home run of the season that scored freshman Danny Borrell.
After Maryland pushed across three runs in the second inning, the Deacs added two of their own in the bottom of the inning and followed that with a seven-run outburst in the third inning. The big hit was a two-RBI triple by Slavik. The Deacons held a 14-3 lead at the end of three.
The Deacons were not quite finished as Danosky capped the scoring in the contest with his ninth homer of the season, a two-run blast that scored freshman Chase Voshell in the bottom of the eighth inning. Danosky was one of five Deacon batters to record multiple hits in the game as he finished three for six with three runs batted in, three runs scored, a homer and a double. Slavik was also strong at the plate finishing two for four with five RBIs. Palmieri had a huge day at the plate as he finished five for six with three RBIs, two runs scored and his 23rd and 24th doubles of the season. Those doubles place Palmieri third on the school's all-time list for most doubles in a season, he needs two more to tie Chris Kowilcik's record of 26 in 1991.
Senior Peter Princi (2-0) picked up his second win of the season for the Deacons as he tossed five scoreless innings in relief of starter sophomore Mike MacDougal who lasted only two innings and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four.
April 18th's contest was a close affair that included a dramatic ending as the Deacons escaped with a 5-4 win.
The game entered the ninth inning with the score knotted at four apiece. After junior Scott Daeley singled with one out, the Terps decided to intentionally walk both Danosky and Palmieri to load the bases and set up force out situations at every base. It looked as if the strategy would work as the next hitter, sophomore Stephen Sullivan, grounded weakly back to the mound.
Pitcher Mike Ginsberg who threw home to force Daeley at the plate, but Sullivan was able to reach on the fielder's choice and kept the inning alive. Slavik then struck out, but the third strike was a wild pitch that got away from Terp catcher Mike Sturino. Sturino chased the ball and threw to Ginsberg covering home. Danosky was able to score the winning run on the play as Ginsberg missed him on the tag, and the pitcher did not step on the plate for what would have been a force out and ended the inning.
Sophomore Jeremy Ward (6-7) pitched two and a third innings of relief for starter sophomore Eric Schmitt in picking up the victory. Schmitt struck out three hitters and allowed only one hit and no runs. Schmitt had a good outing as he went six and a third inning allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven.
The Deacons and Terps dodged the rain for the first two games of the series but April 19th's finale, the rain brought a halt to the game in the fifth inning and the Deacs took a 10-2 victory. The game went through two, long rain delays in the early inning before it was called.
Junior John Hendricks (10-2) became the ACC's first ten game winner this season in going the distance in the shortened game in his fifth consecutive complete game. Hendricks gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while fanning five Maryland batters.
With two runs in the first inning and five in the second, the Demon Deacons put the game out of reach early and gave Hendricks all the support he needed. The big hits in the second inning came in the form of a two-RBI single by Ben Danosky that scored junior Andrew Riepe and Chase Voshell and a two-RBI triple by Jon Palmieri that scored both Danosky and Scott Daeley. After Palmieri scored on a wild pitch, the Deacs had built an insurmoutable 7-0 advantage.
In the fifth inning, a single by senior Sunny Chiou to right field scored both Riepe and senior Will Rikard to up the lead to the final 10-2 margin before the game was called two batters later leaving two men on base with one out.
The two bit hitters in the contest for the Deacons were Danosky, who finished the day 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, two doubles and three runs scored and Palmieri who went 2-for-2 with three RBI, a triple and a run scored.
With April 19th's win, the Deacs upped their record to 29-16 on the season and 10-10 in ACC play with three conference games remaining April 24-26 at Virginia.
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Palmieri
Carlton Ward/Old Gold and Black
Princi