BALTIMORE – UMBC starter Jayden Shertel allowed just two earned runs over a season-high 7.1 innings but the Retrievers dropped the middle game of their three-game series with the NJIT Highlanders, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.
 
Shertel, a sophomore, walked just one batter and fanned a season-high six Highlanders. Catcher Tony Krueger went 2-for-2 with an RBI and center fielder Justin Taylor finished 2-for-4 with a double.
 
The Retrievers (12-14, 4-4 America East), who won the first game of the series on Friday evening, were limited to four hits and a run over six innings by NJIT southpaw Aidan Kidd. Kidd walked two batters and fanned six Retrievers to improve to 5-1.
 
Lefty reliever Grant Vurpillat earned his third save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings for the Highlanders.
 
The visitors got on the board in the top of the first inning as leadoff hitter Luke Longo doubled and eventually scored on a two-out error by UMBC second baseman Anthony Swenda.
 
Longo then ripped a two-out RBI double in the second to plate third baseman Jared Donnelly (singled).
 
The Highlanders (9-18, 4-4 AE) widened the lead to 3-0 on a sacrifice fly to center field by designated hitter Dante Bozzuti, which plated left fielder Andrew Elcock.
 
The Retrievers cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by catcher Tony Krueger. Swenda led off the inning with a walk and then designated hitter Luke Trythall bounced a double into right field. Vurpillat entered the game in relief of Kidd and walked left fielder Christian Easley to load the bases with no outs. However, shortstop Dawson Baracani popped up and right fielder Christian Diaz hit into a double play to end the threat.
 
NJIT added the final run of the game in the top of the eighth as Donnelly put down a sacrifice RBI bunt to plate center fielder Ty Sallie (walked).
 
Once again, UMBC had the bases loaded in the ninth but Diaz hit into his second straight double play to end the game.
 
UMBC and NJIT will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.