Box Score Vestal, NY – The No. 2 seeded UMBC Retrievers were defeated by the top-seeded Maine Black Bears, 3-1, in the winner's bracket of the 2023 America East Championship on Friday afternoon at Bearcats Baseball Complex (Binghamton University). UMBC will next play No. 3 seeded Binghamton in an elimination game at 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening. The Retrievers can still advance to Championship Saturday against Maine with a victory against the Bearcats this evening. UMBC would need two victories to reach their first NCAA Regional since 2017.

Sophomore Jayden Shertel (5-5) was solid but suffered the defeat after allowing two earned runs over 5.1 innings of work. The southpaw scattered five hits, walked three batters and fanned three over his 98-pitch outing. Senior reliever Connor Kelly pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
 
Junior second baseman Anthony Swenda went 2-for-3 (HR) and senior center fielder Justin Taylor walked twice to lead the Retrievers.
 
UMBC (30-26) opened the scoring in the top of the third inning as Swenda smoked a lead-off homer over the left center field wall, his tenth dinger of the season.
 
Maine (31-19) answered in the bottom of the third with an unearned tally. Junior third baseman Jake Marquez led-off with a ground-rule double and came around to score following a fielding error and an RBI sacrifice fly by junior second baseman Quinn McDaniel.
 
The Black Bears went ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth as McDaniel drew a lead-off walk and then sophomore first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins, the 2023 America East Player of the Year, delivered the game-winner with a two-run homer to right center.
 
UMBC recorded just three four hits in the contest against sophomore starter Caleb Leys (5-0), who bested the Retrievers for the second time this season. The left-hander walked just two batters and registered eight punch outs. Closer Justin Baeyens picked up his eighth save as he retired the Retrievers in order in the ninth.