COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Jake Stinnett struck out a career-high 14 batters and held No. 11 NC State to two hits through five innings to lead Maryland past the Wolfpack 10-0 Friday night at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
Stinnett’s 14 strikeouts are the most in an ACC contest this season and the most by a Terrapin pitcher since 2008. Stinnett struck out nine of the first 17 batters he faced including striking out the side in the fourth.
"Coach [Jim] Belanger and I've been working on throwing that two-seam [fastball], particularly into right-handed hitters to make them uncomfortable,” Stinnett said. “I had that going today. It really helped me. Defense was spectacular today, as always. It was a great team win."
A senior from Vista, Calif., Stinnett entered the evening five strikeouts shy of NC State’s Carlos Rodon for the conference lead. By the end of the night, Stinnett had outdueled the Wolfpack ace and taken over the top spot. Stinnett held the Wolfpack to four hits over eight innings issuing only one walk to earn his third win of the season.
“That's how you establish yourself on the national scene,” head coach John Szefc said. “All of those guys sitting behind home plate with the radar guns were still sitting there in the eighth inning. That is tribute to Jake."
The Terps (14-6. 3-4 ACC) benefited from four Wolfpack (14-6, 3-4 ACC) errors scoring eight unearned runs against Rodon to drop his record to 2-4. Rodon went 4.2 innings and surrendered six hits, walked four and struck out eight.
Maryland broke open a two-run game in the home half of the fifth with six runs in the frame. The big blow of the inning was delivered by shortstop Blake Schmit. With the bases loaded and three runs already across, Schmit cleared the bases with a double to the gap in left center to put the Terps up 8-0.
The Terrapin fifth started with a single by Kevin Martir, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. With the bases loaded, Anthony Papio hit a chopper to first. The first baseman elected to come home, but his throw skipped past the catcher allowing Martir to score.
After Rescigno was forced out at home, Krysthian Leal walked to bring home a run and an error at second scored the Terps’ third run of the inning setting up Schmit’s three-RBI double.
Maryland tacked on two runs on in the eighth behind a RBI double from Kyle Convissar and a RBI single from Michael Montville.
The Terps opened the scoring in the first when an errant throw from third got passed NC State’s first baseman allowing a run to score. In the fourth, Papio beat a throw home off a Leal chopper to second to put the Terps up 2-0.
Convissar, Martir, Papio and Schmit all finished with two hits. Schmit finished with a game-high three RBI, while Leal added two.
