UMBC

Steve Bowen hit his sixth home run of the year on Friday.

The UMBC baseball team lost the opener of a four-game America East Conference series with Hartford by a final score of 5-3 on Friday afternoon at Hartford’s Campus Field.  The Hawks improve to 6-30 overall and 3-10 in AE play while the Retrievers are now 14-24 overall and 3-8 in conference action.

Starter Pete Moraski earned his first win of the season going eight innings, while Steve Dabroski earned his first save pitching the top of the ninth inning with two strike outs in three batters faced

UMBC opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Brian Moran led off the game with a double to right center. He scored three batters later but after moving to third on a single from Joe Fowler. The clean-up hitter Steve Bowenﾠpicked up the first RBI when he smacked a double to right center scoring Moran. Fowler scored on the very next at bat, a routine groundout to third base.

Hartford brought one run across the plate in the bottom half of the first with Brady Stouffer leading off the inning with a triple to left center field. He scored two pitches later when Bill Perry knocked a text book sacrifice to deep left.

The Hawks tied the score in the fourth inning when a lead off hit for Ryan Crowley led to a run later in the inning. Two errors on third baseman Mark Lemon helped lead to the Hartford run. For the third time in the game a lead off hit in the seventh for Adam Bowser led to a Hartford run. Bowser scored on the fourth batter of the inning, Frank Cipolla, who reached base on a fielder's choice.

A solo home run with two outs in the eighth tied the score for the second time in the game. Bowen sent his sixth home run of the season over the left field fence, the seventh hit allowed by Moraski. Hartford answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

Ben Sobocinski started the offense when he reached on throwing error by the short stop. He scored on the very next at bat when Bryan Propst singled up the middle. A second throwing error, this time on the third baseman allowed Propst to score. Both runs in the inning were unearned.

Moraski went a total of eight innings allowing seven hits and three earned runs. He finished with two strike outs and walked one batter of the 32 he faced. Dabroski pitched a single inning of perfect baseball with a pair of strike outs and a ground out, recording his first collegiate save. Jon Pavlis went the distance for the Retrievers with 11 hits and five runs, two of them earned. He struck out eight batters.

At the plate the Hawks were led by Propst who finished with three hits on four at bats with an RBI. Perry finished the game a perfect two-for-two at the plate and recorded an RBI. Fowler and Bowen led the Retrievers. Each finished with three hits in four at bats with Bowen picking up a pair of RBI.

The two teams will play a double header on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12:00 p.m. The series will conclude is a single game on Sunday afternoon with the start time also at noon.