Baseball Falls, 10-6, To UMBC In Series Finale
BOX SCORE
ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team suffered a three-game sweep this weekend at the hands of the visiting UMBC Retrievers. UMBC won Sunday’s series finale, 10-6, to improve to 10-18 overall and 6-6 in America East play. The Great Danes fell to 7-19 on the season and 4-8 in conference games.
UAlbany starter Kevin Archbold (1-1) took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned), five hits and five walks, while striking out four in three innings on the mound. Cameron Sorgie was charged three runs on five hits, and struck out two in 2.1 innings of middle relief, while Stephen Carey held UMBC to one run and two hits, while striking out three in the final 3.2 frames.
Offensively, the Great Danes outhit UMBC, 13-12, led by senior Brian Bullard’s 4-for-4 performance with a run and an RBI. Richard Bacon went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, and Josh Nethaway (2-for-5) and Craig Lepre (2-for-4) also recorded multiple hits.
In the top of the third, UMBC took a 6-0 lead, batting around the order. The Retrievers used five infield singles, Andrew Casali’s double down the left field line, and two walks to work their way around the bases.
UMBC added three more runs for a 9-0 lead in the fourth, as Vince Corbi led off with a single to left, Jacob Barnes brought him in with a single of his own, and Brandon Coluccio knocked in another run with double to right and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Great Danes rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh and three more in the eighth, cutting the margin to three, 9-6. In the seventh, Bacon led off with a double to left field. He moved to third on a groundout and a wild pitch before tagging home on Adam Mund’s sacrifice fly to right. With two outs, D.J. Hoagboon drew a walk, and Bullard, Evan Harasta, and Nethaway strung together three straight singles, plating two.
In the eighth, Bacon sparked the rally again with a one-out single to right field. Patient at the plate, Jeff VonMoser’s hit by pitch followed by Mund and Hoagboon’s back-to-back walks brought in one run for the Great Danes. With the bases still loaded, Bullard brought in a second run with a sac fly to left, and a fielding error tacked on one more.
UMBC made it a four-run game, 10-6, in the top of the ninth, as Rob McCabe lined a one-out double and Connor Hax knocked an RBI single to center.
UAlbany loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two outs on a pair of walks and Bacon’s single through the left side, but closer Jonny Dierks forced a flyout to end the game.
Joe Vanderplas (1-2) earned the win, throwing six shutout innings, allowing seven hits, while striking out one. Coluccio (3-for-5) and McCabe (3-for-4) led the Retrievers offensively with three hits apiece.
Up next, UAlbany hosts St. John’s Tuesday in a non-conference contest at Varsity Field. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
