Binghamton, N.Y. – Senior right-hander Luke Johnson tossed 6.2 strong innings on Friday evening, and graduate student center fielder Justin Taylor made a game-saving diving catch on the warning track to lead the UMBC baseball team to a 4-3 victory in the opening game of their three-game series against America East Conference rival Binghamton.
UMBC (23-20) picked up their sixth road victory of the season and improved to 12-7 in conference play. Senior second baseman Anthony Swenda drove in three runs for the Retrievers. Graduate student reliever Sam Downs picked up his third save of the season.
Johnson, who fired a season-high 108 pitches, evened his record at 4-4 after allowing two hits and four walks while fanning eight batters. The America East Pitcher of the Year candidate struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth inning to get out of a jam after walking two batters in the frame.
Despite their first two batters being retired in the top of the third, UMBC scored a pair of runs off Binghamton (18-25, 7-12) righty starter Gabe Driscoll, who fell to 4-4. Senior third baseman Matt Ryan (2-for-4) ignited the rally with an infield single and stole second base. Swenda then launched a two-run homer to left with the count full, his fifth dinger of the season.
A one-out solo homer to right field in the bottom of the sixth by second baseman Nick Roselli was the lone mistake of the night by Johnson, who left after recording the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Downs replaced Johnson in the seventh and allowed consecutive singles but retired Logan Haskell on a fly ball to left field to end the threat.
The Retrievers added an insurance run in the top of the eighth as Taylor drew a one-out walk and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to center by Swenda. Ryan had a key hit in the inning with a single through the right side to move Taylor to third.
UMBC made it 4-1 in the top of the ninth as senior shortstop Dawson Baracani lined a two-out RBI single through the left side to plate right fielder Derek Paris, who drew a lead-off walk.
Downs retired the side in order in the eighth but yielded a two-run single in the ninth to Haskell before recording the final out with the bases loaded. Taylor made a diving catch on the warning track to rob Mike Gunning of a walk-off hit. Downs went 3-0 in the count but recovered just in time to retire the Bearcats.
Game two is set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
