UMBC

John Jancuska and the Retrievers will look to get back on track on Wednesday at Towson.

Baltimore, Md. – The UMBC baseball team (8-11) was held to two hits over nine innings as they dropped their fourth straight game to Delaware (11-10) by a final score of 8-2 on Tuesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.  UMBC, who entered the week leading the conference in fielding percentage, committed three errors in the game, leading to three unearned Blue Hen runs. 

Matt Heppner was sensational on the mound for the Blue Hens, pitching a complete game two-hitter and striking out eight Retriever batters.  Heppner’s only trouble he ran into came in the sixth inning.  Heppner, who gave up a single in the second inning before retiring the next 13 of 14 batters, issued a two-out walk to Steve Russo.  Zach Clark took advantage for UMBC as the Newark, Del., native hit a two-run home run over the left field fence. 

Heppner did not rattle, getting Steve Bowen to line out of the inning and than sitting down the Retrievers in order until giving a two-out walk to Bowen in the top of the ninth.  Following the walk, Heppner struck out Joe Fowler to end the game. 

Fowler and Clark were the only Retrievers to tally hits off of Heppner as both extended their respective hit streaks to nine consecutive games. 

Offensively, the Blue Hens put up two runs in four separate innings, including the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-0 lead.  Adam Tsakonas hit a two-run home run in the third, Bryan Hagerich hit a solo shot in the fourth and Alex Buchholz hit a two-out two-run home run in the fifth to fuel the Blue Hen attack. 

UMBC starter Eddie Bach went 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, six runs, five of them earned while walking one and striking out six batters.  Mike Fitzpatrick worked the bottom of the eighth, allowing two unearned runs while striking out two and giving up one hit. 

UMBC returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Towson for a 3 p.m. game with the Tigers.