ALBANY, N.Y. – Host Albany scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and it proved to be the game's only run as the Great Danes held off the UMBC baseball team, 1-0, to complete the sweep in the America East weekend series.

Gordon Madej picked up the lone RBI of the day, driving in Nolan Gaige with a one-out single up the middle.

Stephen Carey (1-0) threw seven shutout innings for the Great Danes to earn the win, before Andrew Jaurique and Ryan Stinar (Forest Hill, Md.) completed the game.  Stinar pitched two-thirds of an inning to earn his fifth save of the season.

Making his third career start, freshman Mike Gomez (Nutley, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) allowed just the one run while scattering six hits over seven innings of work.  Gomez (1-4) walked two batters while striking out one.

After UMBC (11-24, 5-16 AE) failed to capitalize on a one-out hit-by-pitch, Albany (20-16-1, 13-8 AE) took advantage of a lead-off single by Gaige.  The centerfielder then stole second and moved to third on a ground-out to second.  Madej followed by sending the first pitch he saw back up the middle for what proved to be the game-winner.

The Retrievers picked up their first hit of the day with two down in the third as junior Rob McCabe (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) slapped a single through left side to extend his hit streak to six games.  He was left there though as the next batter flied out.

Gaige drew a one-out walk in the bottom half, but the UMBC defense turned its second 6-4-3 double play of the day to aid Gomez.

The hosts looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth as back-to-back single put two runners on with two away.  But, Gomez regrouped and induced a grounder to first to escape the damage.

UMBC nearly leveled the score in their next at-bats, loading the bases with two out.  With one away, McCabe collected his second hit of the day with a shot up the middle.  Sophomore Jake Barnes (Annandale, Va./Annandale) was then plunked for the second time in the game to put two runners on and two batters later junior Brandon Coluccio (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township/Brookdale CC) reached on an infield single.  A first pitch fly out to center killed the rally, however.

In the top of the ninth, the visitors made one more push as Coluccio lined the first offering back up the box.  Junior D.J. Smith (Millersville, Md./Old Mill) replaced him on the base paths and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Jason Allinder (Snow Hill, Md./Snow Hill/Chesapeake CC).  A ground-out to first pushed Smith to third with two away, but he was left there as a liner to left finished the game.

The Retrievers now return home to open up a five-game home stand with a single game against local rival Towson on Wednesday, May 1.  UMBC then welcomes conference foe Stony Brook to Alumni Field for a three-game weekend series before hosting UMES on May 8 to close out the set.

DAWG BITES

-          With the sweep Albany wins the season series 5-1 and leads the all-time series 28-10.

-          The Retrievers won the first game of the season series before dropping the next five.

-          With each collecting two hits on Sunday, Coluccio and McCabe lead UMBC with nine multi-hit games this season.

-          McCabe is hitting .333 (8-for-24) during his six-game hit streak.

-          The Retrievers played error-free baseball again on Sunday marking the tenth time that they have played without a miscue this spring.

-          Junior Jon Cohn (Scottsdale, Ariz./Notre Dame Prep) pitched the eighth inning for UMBC, giving up just a two-out single and recording two strikeouts.

-          Gomez and Cohn combined to strike out three batters to extend UMBC's streak to 101 games with at least one K.