TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Second-ranked Florida State (11-2, 1-1) fell to Maryland (9-3, 1-1) in game two Saturday afternoon 5-1 as the Terrapins evened the weekend series at a game apiece on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium.
The Seminole offense struggled all afternoon against Maryland’s Mike Shawaryn as the freshman right hander kept the Florida State bats at bay for a good portion of his outing on Saturday. He faced the minimum through the first three innings and did not allow a runner past second base until the seventh inning.
“That was a beautifully pitched ball game by their guy,” Florida State head coach Mike Martin said. “I thought he was literally dominant with the way he changed speeds, threw three pitches and had us off balanced. Not to get a sniff for seven innings off him was quite an accomplishment for them. You just tip your hat and go to the next day.
In the seventh, Florida State loaded the bases with just one out on a walk, a fielding error and an infield single but Shawaryn got out of the jam unscathed getting Ben DeLuzio to ground into an inning ending double play.
The Seminoles finally got to him in the eighth but could only manage just one run against the freshman right hander. Pinch hitter Casey Smit led off the inning with a double to the gap in right center and moved to third on a passed ball. After a Maryland pitching change, Brett Knief drove in Smit on an RBI double to right off Terrapin reliever Alex Robinson.
Shawaryn (4-0) worked a season-high 7.1 innings on Saturday allowing just one run on five hits as he walked three and struck out five.
“It was definitely his day to today,” said Knief on Shawaryn’s performance. “He stopped our offense for a good while there and it was just unfortunate that we couldn’t get more runs for Brandon because he had a great outing.”
Maryland closer Kevin Mooney pitched a perfect ninth, striking out the side, to seal the game two victory.
“Maryland played a beautiful baseball game,” said Martin. “They are a very good baseball team. I thought our guys battled. They could have thrown the towel in but they battled.”
Brandon Leibrandt (2-1) pitched well in the loss for the Seminoles as the junior southpaw also worked a season-high 7.1 innings giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits. He finished with a season-high eight strikeouts, the most in a game since striking out nine against UCF back on May 4, 2013, and did not issue a walk.
“I felt like I had good stuff,” said Leibrandt. “It was one of those days of attacking the zone. I just wish in the end that I had two throws back; that one to the leadoff hitter and then on the home run. Outside of that it could have been a different day, but who knows.”
A pair of errors on the second play of the game led to Maryland’s first run of the game. Charlie White laid down a bunt right in front of the pitcher’s mound on just the second pitch. Leibrandt threw wildly over to first and after a bobble in right by Knief, White was standing on third with no one out. The Terrapin second baseman would score one batter later on a groundout to second by Brandon Lowe.
Kyle Convissar pushed the Maryland lead to 3-0 in the sixth as the Terrapin designated hitter left the yard for his first home run of the season. Convissar took a 2-0 pitch from Leibrandt out of the park to left for a two-run shot.
Maryland’s lead grew to 5-0 in the eighth when LaMonte Wade went the opposite way off Seminole reliever Dylan Silva lacing a two-run double to left.
Jim Voyles made his collegiate debut in game two and worked 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. The freshman right hander got off to a shaky after entering with one on and one out in the eighth as he hit the first two Maryland batters that he faced. But Voyles responded by get Anthony Papio to ground into an inning ending double play. He went back out to work the ninth and retired the side in order on a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
