BALTIMORE -- Luke Trythall (Poolesville, Md.) and Leewood Molessa (Pullman, W.Va.) combined to drive in 11 runs as the UMBC offense exploded for 14 runs on 19 hits in a 14-3, series-clinching, victory over visiting NJIT.

Molessa went 4-for-5 with two homers, five RBI and four runs scored, while Trythall went 3-for-5 with a homer and six RBI for uMBC (13-14, 5-4 AE). 

Justin Taylor (Reston, Va.) and Ian Diaz (Philadelphia, Pa.) each had three hits and scored three runs, while Matt Ryan (Bethesda, Md.) and Tony Krueger (Appleton, Wisc.) each had a pair of hits and an RBI. Taylor also added an RBI of his own.

Joe Pucek (Morristown, N.J.) worked 3.1 innings of relief to pick up the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. He allowed just one earned run and struck out four.

How It Happened:

• After Nick Remy (Atkinson, N.H.) worked a perfect top of the first, Taylor laced a one out single to center and would immediately score when Molessa followed with a homer to center to put the Retrievers up 2-0
• After a scoreless second inning, Taylor would once again get a one out single in the third to get the rally started. Molessa then doubled to put two on, and Trythall then followed with a three-run homer over the fence in right.
• The Highlanders would load the bases with one out in the fourth, but Remy got a pop out and a fly out to escape the jam unharmed.
• In the bottom half of the inning, Christian Easley (Collinsville, Va.) and Dawson Baracani (Sammamish, Wash.) were each hit by a pitch to start the inning.
• Diaz followed with a single to load the bases, and Easley would then score on a Taylor sacrifice fly
• With two on and two out, Trythall would rip a double to left center to score a pair and push the lead to 8-0
• The score would remain 8-0 until the sixth when NJIT would plate three (two unearned), but the Retrievers responded in the bottom half of the inning
• Diaz, Taylor and Molessa would all single with one out to load the bases.
• Trythall then hit a short grounder back to the pitcher, who unsuccessfully tried to get Taylor at third, and everyone was safe as it became 9-0.
• Ryan and Krueger each followed with RBI singles to push the lead to 11-3
• In the seventh, Baracani reached on a one out error and then moved to third on a Diaz single.
• After a pop out, Molessa blasted his second homer of the game to extend the lead to 14-3.
• Pucek escaped trouble in the eighth as the Highlanders had second and third with no outs, but a shallow fly out and a strikeout ended the threat
• Connor Kelly (Cumberland, Md.) came in and pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game

UMBC hosts a pair of mid-week contests this upcoming week. First they host Bucknell at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in a makeup of the rain out on March 14th. The Retrievers will then welcome Georgetown to Alumni Field for a 6 p.m. contest on Wednesday.