UMBC

BURLINGTON, Vt.—The UMBC baseball team dropped the series finale, 4-3, to Vermont on Sunday at Centennial Field, also falling in the overall series, 3-1. 

The Retrievers (10-29, 2-14 America East) tallied one run each in the first, fourth, and seventh innings, but couldn’t over the come the Catamounts’ (18-18, 7-4 America East) two-run first and second innings.

Senior Bo Sauter (2-2) went the distance for the Retrievers, giving up four runs on 10 hits while striking out one in 8.0 innings of work and junior Steve Russo led from the plate, going 3-for-5 on the day with one run scored, two RBI, and a home run.

Eric Thompson (3-4) took the win for the Catamounts, going 6.2 innings and letting in three runs on six hits, while striking out three. 

The Retrievers took an early, 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a lead-off homer by Russo, his third of the year.

The Catamounts, however, scored the tying and, eventual, game-winning runs in the bottom of the first off Jeff Chapman’s RBI single and Kyle Massie’s RBI double to give them the 2-1 lead.

Will Huntington added another run for the Catamounts with an RBI single in the second and then scored on a fielder’s choice to give Vermont the 4-1 advantage.

The Retrievers put Russo in scoring position on third base in the third with one out, but junior Will Delawter’s pop-out and senior Steve Bowen’s groundout ended the inning with two men left on base.

The Retrievers had better luck in the fourth, as senior Mike Scheffel scored on a double play ball hit by sophomore Tom Meaney, to cut the Catamount lead to two.

Junior Mark Lemon reached base on a walk and stole second in the seventh inning before Russo brought him in with an RBI single to put the Retrievers down by one.

The Retrievers put the tying run on base in the ninth with Meaney’s lead-off single to third, but pinch runner, senior Issac Friedel was caught at second on sophomore Scott Peddicord’s bunt attempt.  Peddicord was left stranded at first after Lemon struck out swinging and Russo grounded out to third to end the ballgame.

The Retrievers face a week of non-conference opponents in the upcoming days, playing host to Delaware at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night and then traveling to Lafayette for a two-game series from May 5-6.