Lowell, Mass.— Matt Chanin went the distance, striking out a season best eight batters as UMBC earned a spot in the championship game with a 9-0 win against Albany on Saturday. The Retrievers put up four runs in the first and five in the third in the win.

UMBC improves to 22-23 while Albany falls to 26-25 on the year.

The Black and Gold will play in their second America East Tournament Championship, getting back to the title game for the first time since 2015.

The Retrievers got out early, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first. Zack Bright (Fairfax Station, Va./WT Woodson) singled in Jamie Switalski (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) who singled earlier in the inning. That set up Christian Torres (Miami, Fla./Miami Senior), who blasted a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence for a three run home run to make it 4-0. 

UMBC then exploded in the third, putting up a five spot in the inning to take the lead for good. Torres picked up RBI number four and a bases loaded walk, followed by a Collin Stack (Jamestown, N.Y./Monroe CC) sacrifice fly that scored Hunter Dolshun (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) to make it 6-0. 

Raven Beeman (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) continued the inning with a single to left that allowed Bright to cross the plate. Andrew Casali (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) and AJ Wright (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) provided runs eight and nine on a single and sac fly. 

That would be more than enough for UMBC as Matt Chanin (Olney, Md./Sherwood) threw a masterful game on the mound for the Retrievers, going a compete game, striking out a season best eight batters, issuing just two walks. 

Torres finished with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI, while Dolshun had three hits in the game. 

UMBC will face Maine, Albany, or Binghamton on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the championship.