Box Score COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Another early lead and strong performance by a starting pitcher propelled the West Virginia University baseball team to an 8-1 victory at Maryland on Wednesday afternoon at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium in College Park, Maryland.
 
For the fourth consecutive game and the 24th time this season, the Mountaineers (20-12) scored first and took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. It marked the fifth time in the last seven games, and the 17th time this year, that WVU scored in the first.
 
Meanwhile a WVU starter went at least five innings for the eighth consecutive game, as junior left-hander Nick Snyder notched his team-leading fifth win of the season and held the Terrapins (16-16) to one run on three hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Snyder improved to 5-1 on the season as West Virginia has won all seven of his starts.
 
"Snyder was Snyder, he was really good again, and he's given us a really good chance to win every game in the middle of the week," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "If you're going to have a great season, you have to win these midweek games. This isn't really an easy place to win, come on the road and beat a Power 5 team in their own yard, so that's a really good win for us."
 
Ahead of a weekend series against No. 11 Texas Tech from April 12-14 at Monongalia County Ballpark, West Virginia has won six of its last seven games. WVU has won four in a row and five of the last six games in the series against Maryland.
 
WVU held UMD to one run on five hits. Five relievers followed Snyder and gave up two hits with six strikeouts and two walks in the final 4.0 innings.
 
Offensively, the Mountaineers scored their eight runs on eight hits with the help of 12 walks. West Virginia's offense included runs on a passed ball, a bases-loaded hit batter and a bases-loaded walk.
 
Sophomore designated hitter Paul McIntosh had two hits, an RBI and a walk. Sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes and senior pinch hitter Andrew Zitel each homered, as Doanes' home run led off the fifth and Zitel's was a two-run shot in the eighth.
 
WVU's four-run first inning came thanks to three walks, a passed ball and an error to go along with two hits. Doanes led off the game with a four-pitch walk and another walk to junior center fielder Brandon White and a single by senior right fielder Darius Hill loaded the bases with no outs. A passed ball scored Doanes for the game's first run, and McIntosh followed with an RBI groundout. The innings third walk resulted in Maryland going to the bullpen, before junior first baseman Kevin Brophy reached on a fielder's choice with an error to load the bases again. Freshman third baseman Phillip Dull was then hit by a pitch to bring home West Virginia's third run, and freshman left fielder Austin Davis reached on an RBI infield single to score the final run of the frame.
 
Snyder then held Maryland to a single in the first and left two on in the second.
 
The Mountaineers added to their lead in the third to make it a 5-0 game. The run was courtesy of four walks, and the last one, to White, came with two outs on a 3-2 pitch to score Dull.
 
Doanes led off the fifth with his solo home run to extend the advantage to 6-0, and Maryland got on the board with a run in the bottom of the inning. A hit batter, walk and groundout put two in scoring position before a sac fly scored the run. White made a fantastic catch on the play, which limited the Terrapins to their only run of the game.
 
Freshman right-hander Ryan Bergert threw a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Snyder, and senior left-hander Zach Reid and sophomore righty Tristen Hudson held UMD off the board in the seventh. Hudson got the final two outs of the inning to leave two on.
 
Zitel homered in the eighth inning, a pinch-hit shot to left that scored Brophy and made it an 8-1 game. It was his first home run of the season and third of his career.
 
Junior right-hander Dillon Meadows added a scoreless eighth inning. In the ninth, freshman righty Brock Helverson loaded the bases with one out, but got out of the jam with a strikeout and fielder's choice to end the game.
 
The Mountaineers continue Big 12 play against No. 11 Texas Tech from April 12-14 at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins on Friday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET, while Saturday's first pitch is set for 4 p.m. The series finale is on Sunday, at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
 
Notes: West Virginia improves to 20-12 on the season, 11-11 on the road and 16-7 in non-conference action … WVU has won six of its last seven games … The Mountaineers have won four in a row and five of their last six against Maryland … West Virginia is 18-6 when scoring first and 12-5 when scoring in the first inning … Nick Snyder notched his team-leading fifth win of the season … Snyder's 5.0 innings marked the eighth consecutive game a WVU starter has gone at least five innings … Tyler Doanes hit his third home run of the season and fourth of his career to lead off the fifth inning … Andrew Zitel hit his third career home run and first of the year in the eighth inning.
 
Single game tickets and flex plan mini-packages for the 2019 season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and support the Mountaineers by purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVU GAME or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum.
 
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