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News Release

UMBC BASEBALL EDGED TWICE BY VERMONT ON SATURDAY, 3-1, 2-1

5/7/2005

Eric Butkiewicz did not allow an unearned run but came up on the short end, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon.

BURLINGTON, Vt. –  UMBC (12-29, 2-12 AE) dropped both ends of a double header with America East Conference foe Vermont (22-13, 10-4 AE) by narrow margins of 3-1 in game one and 2-1 in game two at Centennial Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Catamounts lead the America East with a 3.19 staff ERA and their two aces, Derek Miller and Chris Blazek each went the distance, and each improved to 5-2. Miller walked a season-high five, four in the first three innings, but settled down to go the route for the fourth time this season in nine starts. He allowed only four singles and struck out eight in lowering his ERA to 2.00. Blazek scattered eight hits and walked three while striking out eight to drop his ERA to 2.65.

In the first inning of the opener, UMBC scored the opening run of the game as Joe Fowler with the bases loaded drew a walk to plate lead-off hitter, Brian Moran.

UVM bounced back with its three runs in its half of the first as Frank Rossi and Jim Chapman led with singles. Jason Carey doubled down the right field line to score Rossi and with one out, Miguel Magrass singled in Chapman. Carey would come home on a force out by Jay Iannoni before both starters, Miller and UMBC's Jon Pavlis (2-5), shut the door for the last eight innings.

Miller benefited by rightfielder Kyle Brault (Milton, Vt.) throwing out Alex Laddbush at home plate to end the fourth inning before retiring 16 of the last 17 hitters he faced.

Pavlis (8 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks) also settled down after the first as over the last eight innings he held UVM to a mere three baserunners.

Blazek wiggled out of trouble several times in his seven-inning complete game win in the nightcap. Several times the Retrievers put two runners aboard before Blazek would come up with a big strikeout.

UMBC went ahead with a run in the third as Fowler singled home Steve Russo for the Retrievers’ lone run of the game. 

The Catamounts tied it in the fourth on an unearned run. In the seventh, Chapman singled in the winning run with two outs. UMBC starter Eric Butkiewicz (3-7) was a hard luck loser allowing seven hits, one walk, no earned runs and had four strikeouts.

The two teams wrap up the series with a single game Sunday at noon at Centennial Field.