Smithfield, R.I. --
Brooks Henderson hit a tie-breaking RBI single in the fourth inning to put the UMBC Baseball team ahead for good as the Retrievers defeated host Bryant, 4-2, on Friday afternoon.
Eddie Sargent picked up the win and combined with
Brady LeJeune-DeAcutis and
Brady Fox to hold the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the final seven innings of the tight contest.
UMBC (24-20, 11-8 AE) got on the board in the first when
Dylan Melton smacked a leadoff double, moved to third on an
Anthony Mascuilli sacrifice bunt and then scored on a
Danny Wyatt RBI groundout.
Ehi Okojie then singled and scored on a
Danny Orr double to make it 2-0 before the hosts even batted.
Bryant (25-21, 12-10 AE) got a run back in the bottom half of the inning after a two-out error put a runner on and it was followed by a run scoring triple. Sargent was able to strand the runner at third with a strikeout, however. The Bulldogs would tie the game in the bottom of the second after back-to-back singles to start the inning were followed by back-to-back fielder's choices to get the runner at second, the latter of which drove in the tying run. After another single put runners at the corners with two outs, Sargent got a flyout to end the threat.
The Bulldogs again threatened in the bottom of the third thanks to a leadoff single, but with two outs, Orr made an incredible leaping snag in right field to rob the hosts of an extra base hit and end the inning with the score still tied at two. In the top of the fourth, Orr reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on a
Derek Paris ground-rule double and scored on Henderson's RBI single. Bryant again looked to score as they smacked a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, but Sargent promptly picked off the runner at second and eventually stranded two more.
BU got a runner on with one out in the fifth, but Sargent again picked off the runner, before eventually getting a ground out to end the inning. The Bulldogs had their best chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth as the first three batters reached via singles, the third one being a bunt single to load the bases. LeJeune-DeAcutis entered and promptly induced a 5-2-3 double play to get the tying run at home and the batter at first, followed by a lineout to strand two in scoring position. Bryant again had runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh before LeJeune-DeAcutis got a strikeout to keep UMBC ahead.
The Retrievers picked up an insurance run in the top of the eighth as Melton singled with one out, moved to second on a Mascuilli walk and scored on a Wyatt RBI single. The game eventually entered the bottom of the ninth with UMBC still holding a 4-2 lead, and the hosts opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Following a sacrifice bunt to put two in scoring scoring position, Fox entered and struck out the next two batters to pick up his third save of the season and give UMBC a 4-2 victory.
Melton and Okojie each had two-hit games for the Dawgs, while the pitching staff did not allow a single walk or hit batter in the contest. Game two of the series has been moved up to 10 a.m. on Saturday due to anticipated weather.
