BALTIMORE – UMBC Baseball sliced a 10-run seventh inning deficit to one, but fell short and dropped a 15-14 decision to Maine in the middle game of a three-game America East Conference series at Alumni Field.
 
The Retrievers (12-14, 4-4 America East) trailed, 14-4, after Maine (9-13, 6-2 AE) put up six runs in the sixth and seven more in the seventh inning. But UMBC matched Maine's torrid seventh as key 2-RBI hits came off the bats of Matt Ryan and Myles Nicholson. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Nicholson again came through with a 2-RBI single to cut the deficit to 14-13. He and Ian Diaz got to third and second, but UMBC could not push either runner across.
 
Maine added a run in the ninth, but UMBC equalized that as Luke Johnson led off the home half with a double and scored on a Justin Taylor sacrifice fly. But Maine was able to retire the final two Retrievers to escape with the victory.   
 
Nicholson collected four hits, drove in five runs and scored twice. Luke Johnson and Tony Krueger were among four players with two hits apiece and they recorded UMBC's lone extra-base hits of the game with doubles.
 
Retriever starter Jayden Shertel only allowed one earned run in the four innings of work, but the UMBC bullpen struggled to keep the Black Bears' bats in check.
 
Nicholson and Taylor connected for RBI singles in the third and fifth innings to help UMBC build a 3-1 lead.
 
The two teams complete the series on Sunday at noon.