Vestal, N.Y. – UMBC earned an America East Conference doubleheader split with the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday afternoon at Bearcats Baseball Complex. The hosts pulled out a 5-4 victory in the opener (7 innings) while the Retrievers held on to take the nightcap by a 7-6 margin in the nine inning affair. UMBC is now 22-19 (11-7) while Binghamton stands at 22-16 (8-7 AE).
Sophomore lefty Jayden Shertel (4-4) was brilliant in the game two victory as he allowed just two runs on five hits over 8.0 innings to gain the win. Senior center fielder Justin Taylor went 3-for-4 with a walk and junior second baseman Anthony Swenda drove in a game-high three runs to pace the offense.
Junior designated hitter
Luke Trythall recorded two hits in the first game while Swenda homered and scored a pair of runs. Junior lefty reliever
Joe Pucek gave the Retrievers four shutout innings.
Game I
How It Happened
- The Bearcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as second baseman Nick Roselli recorded a two-run double to left center against sophomore starter
Nick Remy.
- The hosts increased their lead to 3-0 in the second after a sacrifice fly by center fielder Tommy Reifler.
- Swenda got the Retrievers on the board with a two-out solo homer to left field in the top of the fifth inning.
- The Retrievers inched within a run in the top of the sixth. Taylor (2 walks) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on an infield single by senior catcher
Tony Krueger. Trythall (2-for-4) then loaded the bases for senior right fielder
Ian Diaz with a single up the middle. Diaz followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to plate Taylor.
- The visitors went ahead for the first time in the game after scoring two runs on a hit and an error in the top of the seventh. Graduate student left fielder
Christian Easley (singled) and Swenda (walked) came around to score on a two-out fielding error by the left fielder
- The Bearcats received a two-out, two-run walk-off homer by first baseman Kevin Gsell against senior reliever
Connor Kelly (1-1) to win the opener.
Game II
- UMBC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Trythall (2-for-5) produced an infield RBI single with the bases loaded and no outs to score Easley (walked).
- Sophomore third baseman
Matt Ryan launched a one-out solo home run to left field to spot the Retrievers a 2-0 advantage in the second.
- The hosts got even in the fourth as Sullivan hit a 2-run homer to center off Shertel.
- The Retrievers went back ahead for good in the top of the fifth as Diaz singled and came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by freshman first baseman
Leewood Molessa (2-for-4).
- UMBC erupted for four big runs in the top of the seventh to widen their lead to 7-2. Molessa added another RBI single to plate Taylor (singled) and Swenda launched a three-run bomb to left field to account for the scoring.
- The hosts scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth on three hits and a pair of walks. Kelly( 5 saves) came on to get the final two outs in the ninth with the tying runs in scoring position.
