UMBC

Sophomore Michael Pesci

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.—The UMBC baseball team won its second game in a row, defeating NJIT, 4-3, Tuesday afternoon in Winter Haven, Fla. With the win, the Retrievers improved to 2-6 on the season, while the Highlanders fell to 2-8.

After the Highlanders got the first two batters on in the bottom of the ninth down two runs, junior David DiVita (Mayfield Village, Ohio/Mayfield) came on to pitch and induced Bryan Bleakley to line out to sophomore first baseman Max Himmelstein (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) who doubled up Vincent Del Vecchio at first.

After a single and a walk that cut the lead to 4-3, sophomore Luke DiBlasi (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) came on and got John Berner to line out for his first save of the season.

Sophomores Michael Pesci (Parsippany, N.J./DePaul Catholic) and Himmelstein and junior Rick Phillips (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to lead of the top of the fifth inning to give the Retrievers the lead 3-2.

Sophomore Mike Lafferty (Annapolis, Md./Mount St. Joseph/Marietta College) walked and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning to increase the lead to 4-2.

Phillips now has a five-game hitting streak and has three consecutive multi-hit games.

Pesci (1-0) pitched five solid innings, allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out two. Freshman Sam Bashioum (Fayette City, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) pitched three-plus innings of relief and struck out four, allowing one run.

NJIT starter Austin McAuliffe (1-2) struck out three in five-plus innings, allowing three runs, two earned.

The Retrievers return to action Thursday at 10 a.m. when they face off with North Dakota State.