UMBC got some solid pitching on Friday afternoon, and Derek Paris provided a RBI groundout that turned to be the game winner as they held on to beat Maine 3-2 in a series opening America East baseball matchup at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
The Retrievers (20-16, 8-5 America East) scored twice in the first inning off Black Bears starter Jason Krieger on RBI singles by both Danny Wyatt and Ehi Okojie. Paris had his eventual game winning RBI groundout in the third. Shane Andrus knocked in both runs for the Black Bears with a solo homerun to left field in the fifth, and brought his team within a run with a sacrifice flyout in the ninth inning. Maine had two runners in scoring position with one out to try to walk it off in their last at bat, but UMBC reliever Brady Fox struckout Nic Pepe looking and got Quinn Murphy to line out to end it.
Wyatt had two hits and the one RBI to lead UMBC. Eddie Sargent started on the mound and allowed just one run on two hits in 4.2 innings, while Kailen Hackmann (5-0) followed and got the win giving up one run on three hits in 3.1 innings. Fox pitched the ninth to pick up his second save. Pepe had two hits for Maine and Andrus had both of their RBI. Krieger (2-5) took the pitching loss allowing three runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Pierce Friedman was very good in relief to keep his team in the game giving up no runs on one hit in the final 4.0 innings. The Black Bears drop to 12-25 and 7-6 in America East. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Photo from UMaine Athletics
