GREENVILLE, N.C. – Maryland homered twice in the first three innings Saturday, powering its way to a 8-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana during Day Two action at the Keith LeClair Classic.
Southeastern (5-5) answered early offensively, but was unable to keep pace with the Terrapins (5-4).
Maryland scored a run in the top of the first inning, using a sacrifice fly to left field to plate a runner from third base after Lion starting pitcher
Mac Sceroler (1-2) walked the bases loaded.
Southeastern responded in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game.
Jacob Seward led off the inning with a single to right-center field and then stole second base. He advanced to third base on
Derrick Mount's ground out and then scored on
Jameson Fisher's RBI ground out.
The Terrapins regained the lead in the second on a 2-out, solo home run by catcher Justin Morris.
Maryland chased Sceroler with two on and no outs in the third, greeting Lion reliever
Payton Robinson with a 3-run home run to left field. The freshman left-hander from Mobile, Alabama, settled in and retired the next 10 batters in-a-row.
The Terrapins got to Robinson for a run in the sixth. After breaking up his string of consecutive batters retired on a single by first baseman Kevin Biondic, Maryland shortstop Kevin Smith pulled a 2-out, RBI double down the left-field line.
Up 6-1 entering the ninth, Maryland tacked on a pair of unearned runs for the final margin of victory.
Maryland starting pitcher Taylor Bloom (2-1) earned the win, allowing the Lion run while scattering four hits in seven innings of work. The right-hander fanned five and did not walk a batter.
Sceroler allowed four runs, all earned, on three hits in two innings of work and was credited with the loss. The sophomore from Denham Springs, Louisiana, walked five and did not record a strikeout.
Carson Crites led the Lions at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk.
The Lions are at .500 this late in the season for the first time since the 2008 season.
Southeastern match up with Tennessee (6-2) at 10 a.m. (CT) Sunday on the final day of the Keith LeClair Classic. The Vols face host East Carolina (7-2) Saturday afternoon prior to facing the Lions.
Senior southpaw
Domenick Carlini (1-0, 2.08) draws the starting nod for Southeastern. He'll be opposed by Tennessee right-hander Hunter Martin (1-0, 1.17).
The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online and through TuneIn Radio app. Fans can keep up with the contest through live statistics or by following SLUathletics on Twitter. Links for audio and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Maryland 8, Southeastern 1 (Mar 05, 2016 at Greenville, N.C.)
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Maryland............... 113 001 002 - 8 9 0 (5-4)
Southeastern........ 100 000 000 - 1 6 1 (5-5)
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Pitchers: Maryland - Bloom, Taylor; Parsons, Hunter (8); Rescigno, Mike (9) and Morris, Justin. Southeastern - Sceroler, Mac; Robinson, Payton (3); Von Rosenberg, Gabe (7); Avans, Drew (9); Hurst, Cliff (9) and Roberson, Sam.
Win-Bloom, Taylor (2-1) Loss-Sceroler, Mac (1-2) T-3:08
HR UMD - Marty Costes (1); Justin Morris (2).
Sceroler, M. faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
