COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- With the crowd at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium standing and clapping in anticipation with two out in the top of the ninth, Maryland senior Jake Stinnett struck out Paul Yanakopulous to became the first Terrapin pitcher throw a no-hitter since 2008 in the Terps’ 4-0 win against Massachusetts in Game One of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
Scott Swinson was the last Maryland pitcher to throw a no-hitter coming at Delaware on May 13, 2008. The last no-hitter to be thrown at home came against Coppin State on March 28, 2007, when five different Maryland pitchers combined on the effort.
Saturday afternoon, Stinnett only faced two batters over the minimum, both of whom walked, while striking out nine. The reigning ACC pitcher of the week retired the final 11 batters of the game.
Stinnett kept UMass (0-5) off balance all afternoon, but was the beneficiary of a superb defensive performance particularly from second baseman Brandon Lowe, shortstop Blake Schmit and centerfielder Charlie White.
"There could have been a couple of hits that game, but the defense picked me up so many times,” Stinnett said. “They do it every game, but especially that game. Other than that, just throwing strikes and mixing it up. Keeping guys off balance."
The Terps (7-2) jumped on UMass starter Conor LeBlanc in the first inning continuing a season long trend. Mike Rescigno delivered a two-out single to right field to move Lowe to third. Following a wild pitch that moved Rescigno to second, Schmit drove in his sixth and seventh runs of the season with a single to right to put Maryland up 2-0.
The Terps extended their lead to four in the fifth inning. Lowe, who had three singles in the first game, led off the inning with a single through the left side. After a single by LaMonte Wade and Schmit was hit by a pitch, Anthony Papio ripped a single through the right side of the infield to plate two.
That’s all the run support Stinnett needed to improve to 2-1 on the season. LeBlanc took the loss for the Minutemen dropping his record to 0-2.
"He had pretty much everything working today,” head coach John Szefc said. “It doesn't happen every day that a guy is that sharp. He's able to throw strikes and command the zone almost on command. Whereas last year when he was still developing, I don't think he had that kind of command. It's hard to beat him because he's constantly in the zone."
In Game Two, the Terps used an eight-run fifth inning to defeat UMass 10-1. The Terps received another strong performance from freshman Mike Shawaryn, who improved to 3-0. Shawaryn struck out a career-high nine during five innings.
