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News Release
BEARCATS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER WITH 10-3, 11-8 WINS OVER RETRIEVER BASEBALL
4/17/2004
Baltimore, Md. – The UMBC Retrievers (6-22, 1-4 AE) dropped both games of a doubleheader to Binghamton (14-9,4-1 AE) in America East Conference baseball action on Saturday at The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC. Jay Balback led the Bearcats to both wins, hitting three homeruns on the day and going a combined 6-for-9 on the day with six RBI and five runs scored.
In game one the Bearcats jumped out on the scoreboard early, scoring three runs in the first, two in the third and one in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Fueling the Bearcat offense was Joe Costello with a two run homerun and Balback with a solo shot, his first of two in game one.
The Retrievers threaten in the fifth, loading the bases with one out but were only able to manage to get one run across the plate as second baseman Kevin Brooks drew a walk. The Retrievers added two more runs in the sixth inning as Kyle Wildasin hit an RBI double into right center field and later scored on a single up the middle by Jon Gossard.
Eric Butkiewicz took the loss as he falls to 1-7 on the year, allowing six runs on six hits. Mike Weglinski stayed perfect on the year improving to 3-0 after pitching 6.0 innings allowing three runs on eight hits. Adam Shatkun finished the final three allowing no runs to pick up a save.
Gossard went 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI while Wildasin and Chris Cerullo each went 2-for-4 from the plate.
In game two both teams combined for 10 runs in the first inning as three singles and two doubles made way to six Bearcat runs. The Retrievers countered with four runs on four singles to close the gap to 6-4 after one.
The Retrievers matched runs with the Bearcats in the third inning to trail 7-5 before a three-run homerun by Balback in the fifth inning allowed Binghamton to open a five-run lead. Balback was close to hitting for the cycle with a homerun, single and double after his first three at bats for the Bearcats, but lined out to shortstop in the top of the sixth to make the final out of that inning.
Gossard continued to swing the bat well on the day, knocking his first homerun in the black and gold with a three-run shot in the sixth inning over the left-center field wall to pull UMBC within three at 11-8.
After Gossard’s homerun, the Retrievers threaten in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh with the tying run at the plate in the in both innings but stranded two batters each time as the Bearcats held on for the win.
Gossard went 3-for-4 from the plate for the second time on the day, recording four RBI and scoring a run in game two. Zach Clark took the loss to fall to 3-4 on the year.