Box Score Arlington, Va.—UMBC Baseball picked up their sixth straight victory, knocking off the Colonials (8-17) in extra innings, 10-8 on Tuesday. The Retrievers got a huge day from Jamie Switalski (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) who went 4-7 with three RBI, while also going five innings on the mound in relief. Senior Denis Mikush (Burke, Va./Robinson) picked up his second save of the year, becoming the program leader in career saves.
UMBC cracked through first, getting five runs in the second inning. Zack Bright (Fairfax Station, Va./WT Woodson) and Tim Kelly (Hampton, Va./York/Virginia Tech) crossed the plate first on an error by the short stop. Senior Kevin Lachance (Clifton, Va./Centreville) followed up with a double to left center scoring Chris Convers (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) to make it 3-0. The inning was capped by Switalski plating both Lachance and Mitchell Carroll (Oakton, Va./Oakton) to give the Retrievers a 5-0 lead.
The Retrievers would add to that lead the next inning with a Nick Naumann (Essex, Md./John Carroll/Chestnut Hill) RBI double to lead 6-0 after two and half innings.
The Colonials would respond, scoring eight runs over the next three innings to lead 8-6 after five complete.
UMBC had their answer in the sixth, getting back to back doubles from Connor Hax (Bowie, Md./Bishop McNamara) and Tim Kelly, tying the contest at 8-8. George Washington would threaten in the bottom of the ninth, but Hax stopped the threat to head to extras.
Both sides would remain without a whisper till the 11th, when freshman Raven Beeman (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) led off with a walk. He moved over on an Anthony Gatto (Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West) sacrifice bunt. Switalski would once again prove to be the big hitter, driving in Beeman with an infield single. Lachance would cross home the very next play on an AJ Wright (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) single.
Senior Denis Mikush would come in an shut the door in the bottom of the inning, earning his tenth career save in the 10-8 win.
Switalski finished 4-7 from the dish with three RBI and going five innings on the mound in relief. Mikush earned the save to become the program leader in career saves.
UMBC heads back on the diamond this Saturday and Sunday with a home-and-home series with Mount St. Mary's. The two sides will play a double-header on Saturday, April 2 in Baltimore before playing a single game in Emmitsburg on Sunday.
