After win Saturday vs. UCLA, UM baseball nears super regionals
Third-seeded Maryland (41-20) handled No. 1 overall seed and regional host UCLA on Saturday night, coming away with a 4-1 victory in the NCAA Division I tournament and setting a single-season record for victories. The Terps needed only a victory over the Bruins in Sunday’s late game to advance to their second straight super regional; a loss would set up a decisive regional final tonight. UCLA, which earlier Sunday beat Cal State-Bakersfield, 9-1, seemed to be in a good position entering Saturday’s game with Grant Watson on the mound. But Maryland came up with key moments against one of the Bruins’ most effective postseason starters. Watson scuffled in 62⁄ innings against a Terps team that came up with key hits when needed. He gave up two singles in the second before Tim Lewis sliced a high fly ball that dropped just fair for a two-run triple. In the third, LaMonte Wade (St. Paul’s) crushed a 1-1 pitch for a solo home run. Kevin Smith followed with a double and later scored on a groundout by Kevin Martir. Associate head coach Jim Belanger has stood in for suspended coach John Szefc this weekend, and he made all the right moves Saturday. The Terps went with a pitching-line committee and stifled the Bruins. Brian Shaffer started and went two innings. Bothered with forearm discomfort, he was followed by Bobby Ruse ( C. Milton Wright), Robert Galligan and Kevin Mooney (North Harford). Galligan was the most effective. He entered with one out in the fourth and retired 13 of the15 batters he faced, including the last 10. Mooney pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save this season. VARSITY: Arundel is accepting applications for its boys lacrosse head coaching position. Applicants should contact Kevin Necessary as soon as possible by email at knecessary@aacps.org. ... Chopticon senior right-handed pitcher Ljay Newsome was named the Gatorade Maryland Baseball Player of the Year. TENNIS: Single-session/daily tickets for the Citi Open on Aug. 1-9 at Rock Creek Tennis Center in Washington are on sale at citiopentennis .com. Early commitments include Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori. ZUMBATHON: Ravens kicker Justin Tucker will make an appearance at the Zumbathon for ALS on Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Merritt Athletic Club at 210 E. Centre St. The event is sponsored by Merritt and the Brigance Brigade Foundation. Proceeds will help the foundation equip, encourage and empower people with Lou Gehrig’s disease. A second Zumbathon for ALS at the same time will be held at Merritt’s Eldersburg location at 1388 Progress Way; the Ravens cheerleaders will make an appearance. Registration is $25 per person. More information: brigancebrigade.org. PRO FOOTBALL: John Unitas Jr., president of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, will sign copies of his book, “Johnny U and Me: The Man Behind the Golden Arm,” on June 13 at 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in the Long Gate Shopping Center at 4300 Montgomery Road in Ellicott City. —