2008 Woodie Awards
Swinson no-hits Delaware in finale
Aaron Kraut
Issue date: 5/15/08 Section: Sports
Wanting to ensure that his team would win its 30th game of the year in the season finale, Terrapin baseball coach Terry Rupp went with sophomore ace Scott Swinson on Tuesday.
Swinson went above and beyond that task. He not only delivered the win at Delaware, he tossed the sixth no-hitter in school history, propelling the Terps to a 4-0 victory. Swinson notched 10 strikeouts, walking two and hitting one batter. It gave Swinson, who excelled in early season ACC play before struggling down the stretch, a team-leading fifth win.
"It was an incredible feeling," Swinson said. "To be honest, ending the season the way coach Rupp wanted us to and get that 30th win felt better than pitching the no-hitter."
"Scott was in control of the ballgame the entire ballgame," pitching coach Jim Farr said. "Just an outstanding effort: He located his pitches to both sides of the plate and mixed pitches well. It was a tremendous way for him to end his season and for us to end the season as a team."
The closest Swinson came to losing the no-hitter was in the eighth inning, when Delaware catcher Ryan Reed hit a line drive to right field. But sophomore right fielder A.J. Casario made a diving catch to save the hit.
Swinson walked the Delaware lead-off man in the ninth inning before retiring the next two batters. One out away from being no hit, Delaware pinch-hit preseason All-American Alex Buchholz, who didn't start the game because of an injury.
"I've played with Buchholz during the summer, and I knew he had been injured," Swinson said. "I saw him on deck and started laughing because I knew they were going to send him up just to break up the no-hitter."
Buchholz hit an easy fly ball to Casario, and the Terps stormed Swinson on the mound.
Junior Gerry Spessard hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to give the Terps a 1-0 lead. The Terps tacked on three more runs to make the final score 4-0.
Swinson's no-hitter will go down as one of the top moments in the Terps baseball season. To have it come with the team just one win short of the 30-win mark - something only one other team in program history has accomplished - made it mean that much more.
akrautdbk@gmail.com
Swinson went above and beyond that task. He not only delivered the win at Delaware, he tossed the sixth no-hitter in school history, propelling the Terps to a 4-0 victory. Swinson notched 10 strikeouts, walking two and hitting one batter. It gave Swinson, who excelled in early season ACC play before struggling down the stretch, a team-leading fifth win.
"It was an incredible feeling," Swinson said. "To be honest, ending the season the way coach Rupp wanted us to and get that 30th win felt better than pitching the no-hitter."
"Scott was in control of the ballgame the entire ballgame," pitching coach Jim Farr said. "Just an outstanding effort: He located his pitches to both sides of the plate and mixed pitches well. It was a tremendous way for him to end his season and for us to end the season as a team."
The closest Swinson came to losing the no-hitter was in the eighth inning, when Delaware catcher Ryan Reed hit a line drive to right field. But sophomore right fielder A.J. Casario made a diving catch to save the hit.
Swinson walked the Delaware lead-off man in the ninth inning before retiring the next two batters. One out away from being no hit, Delaware pinch-hit preseason All-American Alex Buchholz, who didn't start the game because of an injury.
"I've played with Buchholz during the summer, and I knew he had been injured," Swinson said. "I saw him on deck and started laughing because I knew they were going to send him up just to break up the no-hitter."
Buchholz hit an easy fly ball to Casario, and the Terps stormed Swinson on the mound.
Junior Gerry Spessard hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to give the Terps a 1-0 lead. The Terps tacked on three more runs to make the final score 4-0.
Swinson's no-hitter will go down as one of the top moments in the Terps baseball season. To have it come with the team just one win short of the 30-win mark - something only one other team in program history has accomplished - made it mean that much more.
akrautdbk@gmail.com
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