WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The VMI Keydets put the tying run on board in the ninth inning, but saw that runner cut down at home plate in dramatic fashion on a game-ending play as the UMBC Retrievers held on for a 5-4 win in NCAA baseball action Friday in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game was the season opener for both teams and was believed to be the first Division I game of the season to get underway.
With two outs in the ninth inning and the Keydets (0-1) down 5-3, Tyler Tharp launched a long home run to right center field to bring VMI within one. Matt Dunlevy then singled, bringing up freshman Matt Pita. With UMBC (1-0) in a no-double defense, Pita hit an excuse-me slow roller up the third base line. Third baseman AJ Wright threw on the run, but the throw got away from first baseman Anthony Gatto for a throwing error.
Running on contact, Dunlevy reached third easily and was sent home. The aggressive play did not pay off, however, as the sophomore was cut down on a throw to the plate to end the game.
With the result, Brandon Barbery was tagged with the loss. He surrendered four runs - all earned - in five innings and walked two. Conrad Wozniak was the winning pitcher, as he scattered three runs on eight hits over six innings. Jonny Dierks picked up the save after the ninth-inning dramatics, as he gave up one run on three hits in two frames.
UMBC jumped ahead with two runs in the first inning. Kevin Lachance led off with a single and, one batter later, scored on a single by Nick Naumann. Hunter Dolshun would plate Naumann with a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and UMBC held that 2-0 lead until the fourth.
In that frame, Tharp had a one-out single and Dunlevy singled as well. One out later, Peyton Maddox plated Tharp with a RBI single and Garrett St. Laurent delivered Dunlevy with his first collegiate hit, tying the game at 2.
The Keydets took what would prove to be their only lead of the game in the fifth. With two outs, Collin Fleischer launched a long home run to left-center to give the Keydets a 3-2 edge. It was believed to be the first long ball of the 2016 Division I season.
UMBC, however, came right back in the bottom of the inning. Four stolen bases and two walks led to two runs, and a 4-3 Retriever lead that they would not surrender. The Keydets left the bases loaded in the seventh and put two on without scoring in the eighth, and the Retrievers took advantage in the bottom of that eighth.
Dolshun led off with a single and advanced on a hit by pitch. One out later, Wright singled to load the bases and Mitchell Carroll hit a slow hopper to second baseman Nathan Eaton. Eaton made a clean relay to shortstop Jacob Jaye, but the ball was hit too slowly for Jaye to turn the double play and a run scored to make it 5-3. That proved to be the difference in the game after the ninth-inning drama.
Every Keydet in the starting lineup had at least one hit, while Tharp and Eaton led the way for VMI offensively. Tharp reached base four times with two hits and two walks, while Eaton was on base three times in his collegiate debut. Lachance had two hits and two walks to lead UMBC.
UMBC 5, VMI 4 (Feb. 19, 2016 at Winston-Salem, N.C.) - Game 1
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VMI 000 210 001 - 4 12 0 (0-1)
UMBC 200 020 01X - 5 8 2 (1-0)
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VMI - Barbery; Gomersall (6); Lighton (7) and Maddox.
UMBC - Wozniak; Callahan (7); Dierks (8) and Dolshun.
W - Wozniak (1-0) S - Dierks (1) L - Barbery (0-1)
HR VMI - Fleischer (1); Tharp (1)
T - 2:53 A - 180
