UMBC

Kyle Wildasin concluded his UMBC career with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring three runs and recording two RBI.

Mark Lemon hit a two-run homerun in the second inning.

Tom Rinaldi hit a two-run homerun in the third inning on Sunday.

Baltimore, Md. – The UMBC Baseball team (16-34, 6-15 AE) defeated Hartford (6-30, 3-18 AE) by a final of 13-6 in the America East Conference series finale on Sunday afternoon at The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC.  UMBC, who won the first two games of the series on Saturday, swept the three-game series to conclude the 2005 season with a three-game win streak. 

UMBC struck early and often, scoring runs in each for the first four innings, including three in the second and third.  In the second, Zach Clark scored on a balk and Mark Lemon connected on a two-run homerun over the centerfield fence.  In the third Kyle Wildasin’s RBI double into the gap in left centerfield scored Brian Moran and Tom Rinaldi hit a homerun down the right field line for two RBI and scoring Wildasin.

UMBC starter Steve Evans cruised through the first 3.2 innings, allowing one hit and facing the minimum 11 batters as Rinaldi threw out Luke Trahan trying to steal second to end the second inning. 

With two outs in the fourth, the Hawks started to rally back as Ryan Cuscovitch singled to right field and moved to third on a double by Frank Cipolla.  Josh Topp hit an RBI single to center field and with the bases loaded Ryan Crowley was hit by a pitch to score Cipolla as the Hawks tallied two runs in the inning. 

Evans left the game in the fifth as the Hawks tallied three more runs on an RBI single by Bill Perry and back-to-back RBI doubles by Cuscovitch and Cipolla.  Dan Blewitt entered the game for UMBC, striking out the first batter he faced and forcing a ground out to end the inning.  Blewett went 3.2 innings allowing three hits, one run with four strikeouts.

Senior Blake Phipps pitched the ninth striking out one and sitting down the Hawks in order.  Evans earned the win to move to 3-2 on the year going 4.1 innings allowing five runs, four earned on seven hits with three strikeouts. 

Hartford used six pitchers in the game as Adam Flaherty took the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings.  He falls to 1-8 on the year. 

UMBC recorded 17 hits in the game as  Moran went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, Wildasin went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI and Rinaldi finished with three hits and three RBI.