Box Score Santa Clara, Calif. – The UMBC bats came alive in the finale of the series at Santa Clara, but a walk-off grand slam by Jon Jon Bearing with two outs in the ninth inning gave the hosts a 10-9 victory.
UMBC graduate student starting pitcher
Samuel Downs excelled in his Retriever debut, tossing five innings of shutout baseball.
The Retrievers banged out 11 hits, with
Anthony Swenda,
Leewood Molessa,
Luke Trythall and
Derek Paris each collecting a pair. Swenda hit UMBC's first home run of the season in the ninth inning and freshman Gabe Ruiz drove home a pair of runs in the five-run seventh inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Retrievers scored first against the West Coast Conference preseason favorite and defending champs in the top of the first, as Molessa was able to score off of a Broncos' error.
- UMBC held the 1-0 lead through six innings, before exploding for a five-run seventh. With one down, Ruiz hit a line drive single to center, plating Matt Ryan and Derek Paris.
- Dawson Baracani doubled to center field, scoring Ruiz to make it 4-0.
- After a pair of walks, Molessa hit a sac fly to right-center, as Barcani crossed with the fifth run.
- With two outs, Trythall singled up the middle to bring home Jayden Shertell and give UMBC a 6-0 advantage.
- The Broncos matched UMBC's five-spot with one of their own in the bottom of the seventh.
- Third baseman Matt Ryan made an over-the-shoulder catch to keep the tying run from scoring in the bottom of the eight.
- The Retrievers tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth. Anthony Swenda started the rally with a home run to left field. Molessa would double and come around to score after a pair of hit batters and a walk.
- Jesiah Carpenter's sac fly scored pinch runner Luke Buscaglia to give the Retrievers a 9-5 lead.
- But UMBC was unable to get the 27th out before five Broncos had crossed the plate in the ninth.
UMBC returns back to Baltimore and will face GW on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
