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News Release
BASEBALL SWEPT AT QUINNIPIAC, 2-1 & 4-1
5/3/2003
HAMDEN, CONN.?Junior Albert Marano hit a walk-off home run in game one and junior Dave Bennett and sophomore Mike Spahr combined to allow just four hits in game two as the Quinnipiac baseball team swept UMBC, 2-1 and 4-1, in a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Hamden, Conn. The wins kept the Bobcats alive for a birth in the NEC tournament as Quinnipiac improved to 14-22 overall and 11-12 in the league, while Retrievers fell to 15-22 on the season and 12-10 in the conference. In game one, Marano came up to bat with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning and rocked his sixth home run of the season over the left field wall to break the 1-1 tie and win the game. In the bottom of the fourth, catcher Kevin MacIlvane drove in Marano with an RBI single up the middle to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. The Retrievers answered in the fifth as center fielder Mike Orlando singled to short, stole second and scored on a single by shortstop Dan Carpenter to tie the game at 1. Junior Buddy Bengel (5-3) earned his fifth win of the season, throwing eight strong innings and allowing one earned run onnine hits while striking out four. Joe Wilson (4-6) took the loss after giving up two earned runs on six hits while striking outsix over 7.2 innings. Carpenter went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Retrievers. In game two, Quinnipiac took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Bennett got catcher Scott Kosmicky to fly out to left, but gave up back-to-back singles to first baseman Isaac Friedel and left fielder Chris Yetter. With the tying run at the plate, Spahr entered the game and struck out second baseman Kevin Brooks looking and forced Friedel out at second to end the game. UMBC took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Kosmicky led off with a triple to center and scored on a groundout by Yetter. Quinnipiac tied the game at one in its half of the inning as designated hitter Brien Magee scored on a groundout by MacIlvane. In the bottom of the fifth, MacIlvane reached second on a throwing error and scored as left fielder Chris Stonaha reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Stonaha moved to third as third baseman Ricky Coppola attempted a sac bunt and also reached on an error. Stonaha scored on a passed ball, moving Coppola to second, and second baseman Charles D?Elia singled through the left side to score Coppola and make it 4-1. Bennett (5-6) earned the victory after allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out five over 6.1 innings of work, while Spahr earned his third save of the year. Eric Butkiewicz (3-6) took the loss after giving up four unearned runs on six hits over six innings. The Bobcats return to action on Saturday, May 4, when they close out the three-game series with UMBC beginning at 12:00p.m.