Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Through the first four innings of last night's Terrapin baseball game, the Terps could not score a run off of a freshman pitcher with a 0-6 record and 14.38 ERA.

Coppin State's Nick Ericson held the Terps to just two hits, freezing batters with a slow overhand curveball and leaving a hot-hitting lineup cold. It looked as if Ericson had a chance to do the seemingly impossible - lead his team, with a record of 2-32, to a victory over an ACC team.

But in the fifth inning, with the game still scoreless, the floodgates opened.

The Terps scored four runs with the help of a dropped fly ball by Coppin State rightfielder Roman Batista and a two-run home run by junior third baseman Mike Murphy, his ninth of the year and third in four games.

"We needed to get on them; we hadn't scored and came out kind of flat. I got a good pitch to hit and it was good to get on them in the middle innings," Murphy said. "We just had a big weekend at [Virginia] Tech, and we went out and we were asleep for the first five innings."

After their breakthrough in the fifth, the Terps (19-14, 5-10 ACC) didn't look back, scoring three more runs for a 7-1 win.

"[Ericson] had a pretty good arm and it was probably something we didn't expect from them," coach Terry Rupp said. "Murphy was able to get that one up for us, and I thought Murphy's home run was what really broke it open."

Sophomore left-hander Tim Kearney made his second start of the year for the Terps, striking out seven in five scoreless innings en route to his first win and allowing the Terps time to adjust to Ericson's pitching style.

"My velocity was a little less than it usually is but in terms of my control, it was one of my better outings," Kearney said. "We were head to head there through four, but I knew my offense would get it done eventually."

Sophomore right fielder AJ Casario continued to climb out of his season-long hitting slump with a three hit night, including a two RBI double in the sixth. Rupp emptied his bench by the seventh inning, giving his starters some rest before today's game against Mount Saint Mary's.

Coppin State scored a run in the eighth inning and was threatening to score more, but a diving catch by freshman leftfielder Bill Rice and subsequent double play ended the inning.

By that juncture, the game had turned in the Terps favor for good, thanks to the long awaited offensive breakthrough in the fifth inning.

"I don't think there was frustration. I just think guys were looking at some good pitches and swinging at some off-speed pitches we weren't getting to," Rupp said. "The guy did a nice job for four innings and you gotta give him some credit."

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