This past weekend, the Tribe faced off against the University of Maryland- Baltimore County Retrievers at Plumeri Park. After dominating in Friday’s game 8-2, the Tribe won both games Saturday (9-1, 5-4) to sweep the three-game series.
p. “It feels really good, finally putting together a three-game winning streak. It’s certainly something that’s a great positive for us,” Head Coach Frank Leoni said. “But we also realize that we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves, that we still have a lot of work to do to accomplish our long term goals for the season.”
p. The College opened the series with a decisive 8-2 victory over UMBC, recording 14 hits to UMBC’s four. Junior designated hitter Tim Park, sophomore rightfielder Ben Guez and junior center fielder Paul Juliano each totaled two RBI and junior leftfielder Greg Maliniak and sophomore shortstop Lanny Stanfield each recorded one.
p. Senior second baseman Brent McWhorter led the offense with three hits and two runs, while sophomore catcher Jeff Wera and Guez both had two runs, and sophomore first baseman Mike Sheridan had one. The Tribe began the game with a bang in the first, as Guez singled to send Park and McWhorter to home plate. Junior pitcher Sean Grieve (2-1) took the win, totaling six strikeouts and allowing only two hits in five innings. Freshman Max Axelrod, senior Warrik Staines and junior Pete Vernon offered relief to shut out UMBC through the remainder of the game.
p. The two teams faced off again in a doubleheader Saturday, as Sunday’s game was rescheduled due to expected bad weather. The Tribe took both games, the first 9-1 and the second 5-4, grabbing the three-game series sweep, the first under Coach Leoni.
p. In game one of the day, the Tribe controlled the contest, not allowing UMBC to reach the board until the top of the seventh. Sheridan led the Tribe with three hits, and Park, Juliano, and sophomore leftfielder Robbie Nickle each pounded out two. The Tribe scored big in the earlier innings, as McWhorter, Maliniak, Sexton, Guez, and Nickle scored one and both Park and Juliano scored two. Tribe freshman starting pitcher Kevin Landry (1-1) walked away with his first win, totaling eight strikeouts and not allowing any runs. Junior Jimmy Drury and freshman John Lawlor provided relief.
p. The second of the day, designated a seven-inning contest, turned out to be an intense game between the Tribe and the Retrievers, as the two teams traded the lead back and forth. The Tribe first made the board in the bottom of the fourth, after Sexton tripled and Sheridan singled up the middle to send Sexton home.
p. UMBC scored three in the top of the fifth to take the lead, but the Tribe tied it after scoring two more. After scoring another in the sixth, UMBC led 4-3, but the College ended with the 5-4 victory, as the team totaled two in the bottom of the seventh. McWhorter, Maliniak, Sexton, Sheridan, Stanfield, and Wera all recorded hits. Junior pitcher Pat Kantakevich started for the Tribe and relief pitcher Pete Vernon (1-0) earned the win.
p. “Our pitching as a whole the entire weekend was outstanding. We got three quality starts from Sean Grieve, Kevin Landry, and Pat Kantakevich, and our bullpen did a great job as well. This is what we’ve been waiting for,” Coach Leoni said.