BALTIMORE – UMBC baseball jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and added give eighth inning runs to defeat Niagara, 10-4, in spring-like conditions at Alumni Field.
The Retrievers (5-6) swept the four-game series versus the Purple Eagles, posting their first four-game sweep since one over Mount St. Mary's in 2019.
Senior pitcher
Keegan Leffler (Wilton, N.Y.) got the win, scattering 10 hits, but allowing only three runs over six innings. Freshman
Nick Remy (Atkinson, N.H.) allowed a run in the seventh, but fanned five over the last three innings to pick up his first collegiate save.
Sophomore
Luke Johnson (Lewes, Del.) produced a big day at the plate, picking up three hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UMBC scored twice in the second inning, highlighted by a steal of home by sophomore shortstop Drew Roberts (Matthews, N.C.).
- The Retrievers added three in the third, as Johnson's double to the gap in right-center scored Ian Diaz (Philadelphia, Pa.) from second and catcher Tony Krueger's single to right field plated Johnson and Justin Taylor (Reston, Va.)
- The Purple Eagles rallied for three runs off Leffler in the fourth inning and added a single run off Remy in the seventh.
- Niagara got the tying run to second base with one out in the eighth, but Remy got a strikeout and a fly out to get out of trouble.
- An unusual sequence got UMBC two runs to start the eighth. Nolan Charlton (Atlantic City, N.J.) led off with a single to right and was headed to third on another safety to right by Roberts. He reached safely and the third baseman's throw in an effort to get Roberts at second was well off the mark and bounded into deep right field. Both Charlton and Roberts scored on the error.
- With one out, Johnson ripped his second double of the game, a line drive down the left field line to score Myles Nicholson (Hagerstown, Md.) from second base. Christian Easley (Collinsville, Va.) added a sacrifice fly and Charlton, batting for the second time in the inning, walked with the bases loaded to score UMBC's tenth run.
Nicholson stole three bases and now has 12 thefts in 11 games.
UMBC heads to Towson for a Tuesday afternoon match-up with the Tigers.
