BALTIMORE – Freshman first baseman Leewood Molessa drove in three runs and became UMBC's all-time single-season leader with 65 runs batted in as the Retrievers edged the VMI Keydets, 8-6, on Thursday evening at Alumni Field.
 
Molessa went 2-for-4 and established a new program standard for RBI with a two-run single to left field in the bottom of the second inning. Shawn Sugars had held the mark since 1992, when he drove in 63 runs.
 
Senior Tony Krueger remained red-hot as the catcher went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI. Krueger is 11-for-22 with eight doubles and eight RBI over his last five games.
 
Senior center fielder Justin Taylor went  2-for-4 and scored three runs while junior shortstop Dawson Baracani was 2-for-4 and scored a run.
 
Sophomore right-hander Nick Remy pitched 4.2 innings of relief to earn his fifth victory of the season. Remy allowed five runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three.  Senior right-hander Connor Kelly pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his eighth save of the season.
 
The Retrievers (28-24) scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Junior designated hitter Luke Trythall brought in the opening run with an RBI groundout and Molessa ripped an RBI single through the left side.
 
UMBC widened their lead to 7-0 as they scored five times in the bottom of the seventh. Krueger cleared the bases with a 3-run double to right center and Molessa capped the scoring with a two-run single to left center.
 
The Retrievers scored their final run of the game on an RBI sacrifice fly by graduate student right fielder Ian Diaz in the sixth inning.

VMI (25-27) received a pair of hits from first baseman Trey Morgan.
 
UMBC and VMI will play two seven-inning games on Friday evening at Alumni Field. First pitch is set for 5pm.