In the bottom of the third inning, Team Papio shortstop Ben Cowles sent out a deep ball as centerfielder Troy Schreffler could do nothing but stand and watch as it cleared the wall.

Cowles’ two-run big fly opened the game wide open as Team Papio went on to defeat Team Swope 16-6 for the team’s second consecutive blowout win in the Fall World Series.

The offense-heavy victory for Papio began in the first inning of the contest. The inning started with three batters reaching base. Center fielder Chris Alleyne led off by reaching on an error, followed by a drop-third strike that scored Alleyne after he stole two bases. The center fielder ended the game with three stolen bases.

First baseman Michael Pineiro followed with the game’s first hit, leaving left fielder Ben Irvine to do the heavy lifting. Irvine sent a dart past a diving Josh Maguire up the middle to drive in two runs, closing out a three-run first inning.

To finish the onslaught, Alleyne led off the sixth with solo shot that sailed to dead center, followed by an RBI double by Cowles to plate the team’s 16th run.

Team Papio managed to get a leadoff runner on base in five out of six innings of play. Eight hits were spread equally throughout the lineup as both new and returning faces contributed in the win.

Small ball drove in a majority of the runs for Team Papio, aside from the big hits from Cowles and Irvine. A total of 16 walks for the team landed runners on base in every inning, and even drove in some of the team’s runs.

On the other side of the ball, Team Papio starter Mike Vasturia shined on the mound in his 2019 Fall World Series debut. In four innings of work, the right-hander tallied three strikeouts while allowing just three hits and a run.

Despite the blowout loss, Team Swope wasn’t all that bad at the plate once Vasturia went to the dugout.

The offense showed signs of life in the fifth inning when Vasturia exited the game. Catcher Brenton Davis plated two runs on a single that ended Team Papio’s shutout.

In the final inning, Team Swope managed to score four runs off a Randy Bednar single and a Maxwell Costes double down the left field line.

Defensive woes were prevalent in the game, however.  Team Swope issued six consecutive walks in the fourth inning to bring in four runs in the defeat.

The 16 runs scored for Team Papio increase the team’s total in the first two games of the Fall World Series to 21, while conceding just seven runs.

The full Maryland baseball team will be back in action on Sunday as the Terrapins take on St. John’s in an 18-inning exhibition.