Orono, ME  - The UMBC baseball team recorded a 9-8 come-from-behind victory against the America East leading Maine Black Bears for the second consecutive day on Saturday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond.
 
Freshman first baseman Leewood Molessa drove in the game-winning run with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to cap a three-run rally. Senior catcher Tony Krueger came through with a game-tying RBI single after senior center fielder Justin Taylor opened the scoring with a fielder's choice RBI.
 
Taylor went 3-for-5, stole a pair of bases and drove in two runs to lead the attack. Graduate student left fielder Christian Easley (two stolen bases), junior designated hitter Luke Trythall, and junior shortstop Dawson Baracani each recorded a pair of hits.
 
Sophomore right hander Nick Remy (4-5) picked up the victory despite allowing a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Senior closer Connor Kelly, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, picked up his second save in as many days and now has seven on the season.
 
Maine (23-17, 13-4), who had won seven-straight series on their home turf, did not have a player with more than one hit in the contest.
 
How It Happened
-Maine broke through for a solo run against UMBC sophomore starter Jayden Shertel in the bottom of the third inning. Second baseman Quinn McDaniel recorded a two-out RBI single to center field to score left fielder Matt McElwain, who led-off the frame with a single.
-UMBC tied the game in the top of the fourth without getting a hit. Graduate student right fielder Ian Diaz came around to score as Baracani was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
- The Black Bears went ahead 3-1 when third baseman Myles Sargent hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
- The Retrievers answered right back in the top of the fifth as they scored two runs on two hits and two Maine fielding errors. Taylor (lead-off single) scored on a fielding error and designated hitter Luke Trythall came through with two-out double to left to plate Molessa (reached on fielder's choice).
- UMBC scored two more in the sixth to grab a 5-3 advantage as Krueger recorded an RBI sacrifice fly and Diaz had an RBI single.
- Maine evened the game in the bottom of the sixth after an RBI single by catcher Dean O'Neill and a wild pitch that plated Nick White.
- Once again, UMBC took a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh as third baseman Matt Ryan (lead-off walk) came around to score on a two-out single up the middle by Taylor.
- The Retrievers carried that lead into the bottom of the eighth, but shortstop Jake Rainess smacked a two-out, two-run dinger to left to give the hosts an 8-6 lead.
- UMBC rallied for three runs in their final at bat as they recorded three hits and received a pair of walks. Junior second baseman Anthony Swenda ignited the frame with a walk and then advanced to second on a single through the right side by Baracani. Easley then put down a perfect bunt single  down the third base line to load the bases for Taylor, who reached on an RBI fielder's choice that plated Swenda. Krueger immediately followed with a game-tying RBI single to left to score Easley. Diaz then reached on a walk to load the bases for Molessa, who came through with the game-winning RBI sacrifice fly to plate Taylor.
- Ryan made a diving catch that was headed for the left field corner to end the game.
 
Up Next
UMBC and Maine will play the final of the series on Saturday at noon.