Game 2 Video Highlights

BALTIMORE-- UMBC baseball picked up a win in game two of the doubleheader to earn a split against the Hawks on Saturday. The Retrievers dropped game one 10-3 before rallying for an 8-5 win in game two. 

UMBC moves to 10-8, 5-8 AE on the year while the Hawks move to 7-7, 7-7 AE on the year.

Game One:

Both starting pitchers got off to strong starts with neither side getting anything going through the first two innings of the seven-inning contest. UMBC got things started in their half of the third pushing three runs across.

Christian Easley (Collinsville, Va.) led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a hit-and-run with Drew Roberts (Matthews, N.C.) who laced a single to left. Two batters later, Ian Diaz (Philadelphia, Pa.) singled to right-center to score Roberts to give UMBC a 1-0 lead. Dmitri Floyd (Dover, Del.) made it 3-0 with a two-RBI single to plate Nolan Charlton (Atlantic City, N.J.) and Diaz to make it 3-0.

However, the Hawks responded with six runs in the fourth on two three-run home runs to push them in front 6-3. They would also add a run in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 10-3 lead. UMBC had a couple of chances late in the contest, but could not cash in as Hartford took game one 10-3.

Luke Belanger (Alexandria, Va.) and Easley each had two hits with Floyd driving in a pair of runs for the Retrievers. 

Game Two:

Hartford jumped out to an early lead in game two with a run in the first, however, the Retrievers responded with a run in their half off a solo home run from Luke Belanger. The Hawks would add two more in the third to retake the lead, but then the Retriever offense exploded. 

UMBC would load the bases in the fourth on a hit by pitch by Jack Ryan (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman), and singles from Dylan Wilkinson (Fairfax, Va.) and Drew Roberts. Christian Easley unloaded the bases with a double to left-center to push UMBC in front 4-3. Easley would later score on a Diaz RBI-ground out to give the Retrievers a 5-3 advantage.  

That would be short-lived as a two-run home run tied it in the sixth. However, the Retrievers retook the lead for good in the sixth on a Diaz RBI single. The Retrievers added two more in the seventh on an RBI double from Roberts and RBI single from Easley to make it 8-5. 

UMBC would win by that score thanks to solid relief from Tyler McDonnell (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) who picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief giving up just one hit. Keegan Leffler (Wilton, N.Y.) picked up the save getting the final out after a pair of walks in the ninth. 

Diaz and Roberts each had three hits with Easley collecting a pair and driving in four runs. 

UMBC and Hartford are scheduled to conclude the series tomorrow with a  doubleheader starting at noon.