ORONO- The UMBC Retrievers used a five run sixth inning on Friday evening, and then would hang on to defeat Maine 9-8 at Mahaney Diamond in the opener of a three game America East Conference baseball series.
UMBC (23-20, 12-7 America East) broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when Tony Krueger hit a two-run single and Leewood Molessa lined an RBI sacrifice fly to left field for a 3-0 lead. Maine got a pair back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Jeremiah Jenkins and a passed ball that allowed Quinn McDaniel to cross home plate. After the Retrievers got another RBI from Molessa in the fifth to make it 4-2, the Black Bears took their only lead of the day in the last half. Connor Goodman had an RBI single, Nick White an RBI double, Jeff Mejia an RBI groundout, and Colin Plante then singled in a run to take a 6-4 advantage. The game was ultimately won in that five run sixth inning by the visitors. Christian Easley hit a two-run homerun to left to tie it, Ian Diaz singled to score a run and another run also scored on an error by the centerfielder Plante on the same play, and Matt Ryan also drove one in as UMBC jumped ahead for good 9-6. Maine did respond and got one back on a single by Jenkins in the bottom of the sixth, and then got within a run when White singled in a run in the eighth. The Black Bears spoiled a good opportunity in that eighth inning as they had the bases loaded with one out, but Mejia struckout swinging and Colby Emmertz popped out foul to the first baseman. In the last of the ninth they would put two runners on base with one out, but McDaniel flied out to right field and Jenkins grounded out to first unassisted to end the game.
Ryan Scott (1-3) took the loss in relief of starter Caleb Leys, giving up three runs in just 1/3 of an inning. Leys pitched 5.0 innings and allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. McDaniel, Jenkins, White, and Plante had two hits a piece. Jenkins and White had two RBI each. Ben Craig (2-1) got the win out of the bullpen for UMBC in relief of their ace starter Luke Johnson. Easley had three hits and Diaz had two. Easley, Krueger, and Molessa all drove in two runs. Maine (23-16, 13-3), who suffered just their second home loss of the season and first in conference play, will look to bounce back in the final two games of the series that take place Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 12 p.m. respectively.
Recap/photos by Chris Lessner
Box Score
UMBC 0 0 3 0 1 5 0 0 0- 9 11 0
UMAI 0 0 2 0 4 1 0 1 0- 8 10 3
WP- Craig (2-1) LP- Scott (1-3)
2B- Maine: White/UMBC: Easley (2), Swenda
HR- Maine: none/UMBC: Easley
SB- Maine: McDaniel (3), Rainess (2)/UMBC: Easley, Ryan
E- Maine: Emmertz, Plante, Marquez/UMBC: none
Time- 3:25
