BALTIMORE – UMBC (22-28, 11-17 America East) built a 12-1 lead and held off a 21-hit Binghamton (17-28, 13-15 AE) attack in a 14-11 victory at Alumni Field.
The win clinched a spot for the Retrievers in next week's America East Championships to be played at the University of Maine.
The Retrievers produced 17 hits and scored runs in seven of eight innings, only failing to get on the board in the sixth.
Freshman third baseman
Matt Ryan went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs, while sophomore DH
Luke Johnson also collected three hits in five at-bats and scored twice.
Junior center fielder
Justin Taylor hit his team-leading sixth home run in the second inning and also drove in four runs. Sophomore shortstop
Drew Roberts hit his first career long ball, a two-run shot that hit the top of the center field fence and caromed over in the fourth inning.
Retriever freshman starting pitcher
Jayden Shertel was outstanding, only allowing one run in 4.1 innings, but did not reach the five-inning mark to get the win.
Keegan Leffler pitched the final three innings for UMBC, stranded five Bearcats and was credited with the victory.
UMBC led, 8-0, after four innings and 12-1 after five, but Binghamton would bring the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, trailing, 13-9, but Leffler induced a fly-out to left after a nine-pitch at-bat.
Every Retriever started had at least one hit and either a run scored or one driven in.
The two teams played the middle game of the series at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening.
