BALTIMORE – The UMBC Baseball team trailed 7-1 after five innings, but managed to get the tying run on base in the 9th before ultimately falling to Navy,9-7, on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Junior right fielder Jake Barnes (Annandale, Va./Annandale) paced UMBC (5-11) going 2-for-4 with three RBI, while redshirt sophomore third baseman Mark Esposito (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Navy (13-11) got to Retriever starter Stephen Chrzanowski (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora/Hagerstown CC) early, scoring a run in the opening frame before the senior got a strike out to strand the bases loaded.

Chrzanowski (0-1) was charged with the loss in his second start of the season while George Coughlin (2-2) earned the win in a staff outing for the Midshipmen.

UMBC, however, would even things up in the second. Esposito would be hit by a pitch with one out and junior left fielder Ryan Sliwak (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh/Nassau CC) would single to left. Barnes followed with an RBI single to right to level the game at 1-1. 

The tie would be short-lived as the Midshipmen struck for a run in the third, before scoring three in the fourth and two in the fifth, two of which were unearned, off sophomore Denis Mikush (Burke, Va./Robinson) to expand the lead to 7-1.

The Retrievers would cut into the deficit in the sixth as Esposito knocked a sacrifice fly that scored junior Vince Corbi (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and was followed by an RBI fielder's choice by senior Rob McCabe (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) that brought sophomore Kevin Lachance (Clifton, Va./Centreville) in to score. 

Navy would stretch the lead out to 8-3 by adding a run in the seventh off junior Kevin Ladner (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury), but UMBC would slice the deficit to 8-6 when Barnes laced a two-out, two-RBI single in the 8th that brought in three runs thanks to an error in the outfield. 

The Midshipmen would get some breathing room in the ninth with a run off sophomore Cam Maxey (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee), but the Retrievers would load the bases with one out in the ninth and score when Esposito reached on an RBI fielder's choice that scored freshman Andrew Casali (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan). That was as close as UMBC would get as Navy was able to end the threat and take the game with Andrew Bartek earning his third save.

Drew Hayes and Robert Currie led the Navy attack, combining to go 5-for-11 with three RBI and four runs scored.

UMBC now travels to North Carolina to take on East Carolina for a three-game weekend set.  The Retrievers and Pirates will start the weekend with a single game on Friday at Clark-LeClair Stadium with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.

DAWG BITES

-          The teams split the season series, but UMBC still holds the lead in the all-time series, 21-19.

-          UMBC is 1-2 against in-state competition this season (0-1 vs. Maryland; 1-1 vs. Navy).  The Retrievers will play a home-and-home two-game series with Towson later in the season.

-          Lachance is currently on a seven-game hit streak.