By Ben Harris

Maryland (13-12) will enter this weekend riding a three-game winning streak – their longest of the season – after a 7-1 win Wednesday clinched a midweek home-and-home sweep over the VCU Rams (16-9).

Freshman Hunter Parsons got the ball from head coach John Szefc, taking the mound with a 2-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. Back-to-back two-out doubles from Marty Costes and Kevin Biondic gave the Terps a quick lead in the first, their third straight game scoring in the opening frame and fourth in their last five.

After VCU got one back in the first on a Jimmy Kerrigan RBI single that scored speedy leadoff hitter Logan Farrar, the next three innings passed without a run. Zach Jancarski – a late addition into the Terps lineup after Madison Nickens was scratched – lined a first-pitch solo shot to left, the sophomore’s first four-bagger of his career.

Parsons was pulled with two on and two out in the fifth. The freshman settled in after allowing a first inning run, setting down 10 straight batters on the road in his first collegiate start. Entering the afternoon, he had tossed just 2.2 innings.

After their three inning hiatus, the Maryland offense got back on track with runs in the next four innings. AJ Lee’s sixth inning single scored Kevin Biondic; it was Lee’s second RBI hit in as many starts. Anthony Papio singled through the right side with two outs in the seventh, bringing home Costes and Nick Cieri, and Nick Dunn doubled home Jancarski in the eighth.

A superb outing from Ryan Selmer out of the bullpen muted VCU’s offense that was held to one run in both games in the series. Entering with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, the sophomore got an inning ending groundball and never looked back.

Selmer, a preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list nominee, set down the next 10 hitters over 3.1 perfect innings before Mike Rescigno threw a 1-2-3 ninth. The final 13 Rams hitters were set down in order.

The Terps host High Point this weekend for a three game set starting Friday 4:00 p.m. at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.

Notes: Ryan Selmer earned the win as Hunter Parsons was pulled after 4.2 innings, one out shy of eligibility for the win. The Terps scored five of their seven runs with two outs and registered a double-digit hit total for the third straight game. Kevin Biondic, the Terps top hitter, is now batting .361 after a 3-4 night against VCU (4-7 in midweek series). Maryland outscored VCU 15-2 during the home-and-home series. The Terps posted twice as many midweek wins (2) as they had all season entering this week (1).