Lorusso gives Terrapins the win over UConn in 11 innings

COLLEGE PARK — Nick Lorusso smashed a bases-loaded single off the wall in the bottom of the 11th inning to send overall No. 15 seed Maryland to a 7-6 win over Connecticut on Sunday night to force a deciding game for the College Park Regional.

The Terrapins (48-13) and Huskies (48-14) meet Monday afternoon for a berth in the Super Regionals.

No. 9 hitter Kevin Keister rapped a one-out single in the bottom of the 11th off UConn reliever Devin Kirby. Jack Sullivan relieved and Luke Shliger singled on his first pitch. Sullivan plunked Chris Alleyne with his second pitch to load the bases.

Lorusso drove a 1-2 pitch off the right-field wall to give the Terps the win. Maryland lost to UConn 10-5 on Saturday night. Maryland beat Wake Forest 10-5 earlier Sunday to stay alive.

Troy Schreffler hit a two-run homer in a three-run first for Maryland. Lorusso added a solo shot to lead off the fifth to make it 4-0.

UConn tied it in the top of the sixth with just two hits.

Andrew Johnson, the seventh Maryland pitcher, went one inning to improve to 2-0. Lorusso had three hits.

David Smith drove in two runs for UConn. Kirby fell to 2-1 with the loss.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, Alleyne hit a two-run home run in Maryland’s six-run eighth inning to avoid elimination by beating Wake Forest.

Schreffler and Maxwell Costes hit back-to-back groundouts to open the eighth inning before Ian Petrutz walked to spark a two-out rally that gave the Terrapins the lead for good. Bobby Zmarzlak hit a two-run homer to left, Keister walked on four pitches and then scored on a double by Luke Shliger to make it 5-5. Alleyne followed with a home run to give Maryland its first lead of the game and Schreffler capped the inning with an RBI double down the line in right to make it 9-5.

Petrutz capped the scoring with a lead-off homer in the ninth.

David Falco (7-1) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.

Pierce Bennett and Brendan Tinsman each hit an RBI double in the bottom of the first to give the Demon Deacons a 2-0 lead. Cortes answered with a two-run home run in the top of the second before Bennett hit a lead-off homer in the fifth and a two-run shot by Brock Wilken in the sixth gave Wake Forest a 5-2 lead.

Keister hit a solo shot in the top of the sixth for Maryland.