UMBC

BALTIMORE—The UMBC baseball team dropped both halves of a double-header against the visiting Niagara Purple Eagles on Monday afternoon at The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC. 

The Retrievers (5-8) fell to the Purple Eagles (6-7), 5-2 during the first half of the contest, and, despite a late rally in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4 during the second game.

Senior Steve Gale led the Retrievers in the contest, going 2-for-7, with one run scored, one double, and three RBI’s.

Junior Dan Blewett (0-4) took the first loss for the Retrievers, allowing nine hits and five runs while recording six strikeouts in 7.0 innings, while freshman Marty Zawacki started the second game and gave up three runs, eight hits, and struck out two in 5.0 innings.

Tim Alberts led the Purple Eagles, going 5-for-7 and batting .714 on the day with three runs scored, two doubles, and one RBI, while Mark Ircandia and Mark Wilson picked up the wins for the Purple Eagles, recording 0.00 and 2.70 ERA’s, respectively.

The Purple Eagles jumped to an early, 1-0, lead in the first inning of Game 1 with a Harrison Harber single to center. 

The Retrievers answered back in the bottom of the third with sophomore Scott Peddicord’s single to right that plated senior Tom Rinaldi before the Purple Eagles continued the seesaw affair adding a run in the fourth.  Senior Steve Bowen led-off for the Retrievers in the bottom of the fourth, crushing a ball to left field for a solo home run to knot the score at two apiece.

The Purple Eagles ran away with the game in the sixth, scoring three runs off Blewett to take the 5-2 win.

Game 2 saw a slow start until the Purple Eagles struck with three runs in the top of the third and held that lead until the top of the seventh when they increased their lead to five.

The Retrievers made a late rally in the bottom of the seventh beginning with junior Steve Russo’s one-out single.  Senior Mike Scheffel added a two-out double to right to put Russo on third.  Peddicord picked up a walk to load the bases and Gale brought the three runners in with a double to deep left field, scoring the Retrievers first, second, and third runs of the game.  Junior Joe Fowler reached on an error that also scored Gale, followed by junior Will Delawter’s single to center to put men on first and second.

The Purple Eagles finally ended the game by striking out freshman Rick Phillips while looking on a 3-2 pitch.

The Retrievers will travel to Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday to face the Rams at 3:00 p.m. before facing the Liberty Flames in Lynchburg, Va. on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.