Smithfield, R.I. -- The UMBC Baseball team trailed by two with two outs in the top of the ninth, but three straight hits plated four runs to give the Retrievers a stunning 7-5 victory over host Bryant in game two of their series on Saturday.
UMBC (25-20, 12-8 AE) trailed 5-3 in the ninth, after a leadoff lineout,
Jesiah Carpenter to right center on a 1-2 pitch, then
Dylan Melton followed with a Baltimore chop that hit in foul ground halfway to first but took a fortuitous bounce back into foul territory resulting in an infield single.
Anthony Mascuilli was then hit-by-a-pitch for a UMBC single season record 16th time this year to load the bases, and then after a strikeout to put the Dawgs down to their final out,
Ehi Okojie ripped the first pitch he saw up the middle to score Carpenter and pinch runner
Luke Buscaglia to tie the game.
Bryant (25-22, 12-11 AE) then made a pitching change, but
Danny Orr and
Derek Paris hit back-to-back RBI singles to give UMBC a 7-5 lead.
Brady Fox entered in the bottom of the ninth, and after the first batter reached via a hit-by-pitch,
Brooks Henderson made a simply sensational play for the first out. Ranging up the middle from second he fielded a grounder on the third base side of second base, flipped it back hand with his glove behind his back, his glove flew off, but
Joe Lomangino made the stretch and catch to get the force out at second. Carpenter followed with a great running catch for the second out, and after an infield single put the tying run on, Henderson fielded an easy grounder fo the final out to give the Retrievers the victory and earn Fox his second save in as many days.
UMBC took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third when
Danny Wyatt had his RBI single followed by a two-RBI double from Okojie. The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, and then unearned runs in the fifth, seventh and eight to take the 5-3 lead into the ninth.
Kailen Hackmann picked up the win in relief to improve to 6-0 on the season. The freshman allowed just one hit and two unearned runs in two innings of work, while
Zach Robinson had a solid start, going six innings, striking out four, walking just one and allowing two earned runs. Wyatt, Okojie, Orr and Paris all had two-hit games, while
Kyle Eddington, Carpenter, Henderson and Melton also added hits.
The final game of the series is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
