BALTIMORE – Senior outfielder Christian Easley's sacrifice fly to center field scored Justin Taylor from third base in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Retrievers recorded their first walk-off win of the year, a 9-8 triumph over NJIT at Alumni Field on Sunday.
 
The Retrievers (21-28, 10-17 America East) took two of three from the Highlanders (22-23, 14-13 AE) for their first series win since a sweep over Hartford in late March.
 
The game marked a pair of firsts – sophomore Zach Dzarnowski's first career home run and freshman Eric Shandler's first career base hit, the latter of which plated a pair of runs in UMBC's five-run sixth inning.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• UMBC sophomore starter Luke Johnson allowed a solo home run to the second batter of the game, but went 5.2 innings and only allowed one additional base hit and no runs to NJIT.
• The Retrievers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Easley's first sac fly of the game scored Luke Trythrall with one out and Dzarnowski hit a two-out blast well over the center field fence.
• UMBC increased the advantage to 7-1 with five runs in the sixth. Easley and Dzarnowski both drew base loaded walks before Shandler's single to center field plated Connor Kelly and Easley. Drew Roberts drove in Dzarnowski with a two-out single to shallow right field.
• But NJIT scored twice in the seventh and added five runs in the eighth to surge in front, 8-7.
• With two outs in the eighth, Roberts hustled out an infield hit to shortstop and Ian Diaz hit a ball just over the glove of the Highlander left fielder at the wall to plate Roberts and tie the score at 8-8.
• UMBC reliever Shane Gorman loaded the bases in the ninth, but got David Marcano to ground to Shandler to end the threat.
• In UMBC's half, Justin Taylor led off with a walk and moved to second on Luke Trythall's hit to left field. Connor Kelly laid down a sacrifice bunt and NJIT failed to force Taylor at third base. Easley drove the second pitch of his at-bat deep enough to center to score Taylor and set off a celebration in the infield.

 
Diaz had three hits (3-for-4) for UMBC, while Easley drove in three runs.
 
Gorman improved to 3-2, battling through the final 1.1 innings.
 
UMBC plays its final non-conference game of the season at Delaware on Tuesday.