UMBC

Zach Clark hit a home run, double and triple on Friday night.

Baltimore, Md. - The UMBC baseball team (8-8) dropped an 8-5 decision to Lafayette (4-11) on Friday night at The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC.  The game marked the first of a three-game series between the two teams as they will meet again on Saturday at 3 p.m. followed by the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Leopards struck first in the top of the first inning, as Frank Cortazar sent a pitch over the center field fence for a solo home run and a 1-0 Leopards’ lead.  After Mike Raible was hit by a pitch and Tom Ambrosole singled, Kevin Leasure hit the Leopards’ second home run of the game over the right center field fence to five Lafayette an early 4-0 lead.

UMBC starter Tim Comiskey settled down after the second home run as the freshman retired 17 of the next 19 Lafayette hitters, including 13 in a row. 

Meanwhile, Lafayette starter Matt Revelle gave up a hit in each of the first five innings but did not allow a Retriever passed second base until the sixth when Zach Clark put UMBC on the board with a solo home run down the left field line.  UMBC followed Clark’s home run with two singles but a double play ground out helped Revelle out of the sixth inning.

Lafayette carried momentum into the seventh after the double play as the Leopards got their first hit since a single to lead off the second inning when Chris Luick led off the top of the seventh with a double. 

Luick’s double coupled with a single by James Conrad knocked Comiskey out of the game as the Retrievers turned to right handed sophomore Dan Blewitt.  Conrad would steal second and with the Retriever infield in, pinch hitter Jeff Butler laced a triple down the right field line to bring in two more Lafayette runs to the plate.  Butler would later score in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Cortazar, giving the Leopards a 7-1 lead.

UMBC tallied two in the bottom of the seventh as Clark with the bases loaded doubled off the top of the center field fence, just missing on his second home run of the day.  Two runs scored on the hit as UMBC pulled with four at 7-3. 

Lafayette recorded a run in the eighth while UMBC scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings.  UMBC recorded 16 hits in the game, leaving 12 runners stranded while Lafayette recorded nine hits, stranding just six runners.    

Revelle earned the win to move to 2-1 on the year.  Revelle went 6.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits with five strike outs.  Kevin Reese pitched the next 1.2 innings while John Fugett worked the final two outs in the ninth inning to earn the save. 

Tim Comiskey went 6.0 innings for UMBC, allowing six runs on six hits with three strike outs.  Dan Blewitt went 2.0 innings allowing two runs on two hits.  Redshirt sophomore Mike Fitzpatrick, who missed the last two season with injury, saw his first collegiate action, pitching the ninth and allowing one hit with one strike out.

Clark led UMBC with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, recording three RBI and two runs scored.  Leasure was one of seven Leopards to record hits in the game as he went 1-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.  Luick and Conrad each had two hits.