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Sports

UMBC Baseball Wins 6-1 Behind Dominant Drewyer, Sharp Defense

The senior pitcher allowed only one run in nine innings and his offense scored four times in the bottom of the first to provide all the run support necessary.

With UMBC protecting a five-run lead over Longwood in the top of the ninth inning, starting pitcher Austin Drewyer followed up a quick fly ball out by allowing a hard-hit double and seeing-eye single.

With two runners on, the Lancers (21-11) had the beginnings of a one-out rally going – until Drewyer forced Longwood's Alex Owens to hit a ground ball to second baseman Rich Conlon, who started the 4-6-3 double play and secured a 6-1 win for the Retrievers (4-16) before 236 fans at The Baseball Factory Field.

It was appropriate Drewyer used his defense to quickly get out of the final inning of his eight-hit masterpiece; the senior said he trusted his teammates to make plays all day.

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“That’s who I want to pitch like,” Drewyer said. “Let the ball be put in play.”

UMBC did not make a fielding error in the game, and the hardest-hit ball off a Lancer bat was corralled by D.J. Ream, who made a fine running catch in the left field corner in the top of the eighth inning.

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Not afraid of contact, Drewyer pounded the strike zone and completed the nine-inning game having thrown only 100 pitches. He entered the ninth having thrown only 87.

The senior right hander scattered eight hits and struck out five while walking none.

“He does exactly what we ask him to do,” Retrievers coach John Jancuska said. “He’s a strike thrower…he’s not going to walk anybody.

“If you throw strikes, you can compete with anybody.”

The only time Drewyer was in any trouble was the fifth, when Longwood scored one run on two hits.

First baseman Robby Newman led off the inning with a slow, rolling bunt down the third base line that UMBC third baseman Curtis Schickner, playing deep behind the bag at third, had to let trickle to a stop at his feet.

Center fielder Chris Briere followed with a double that would have plated Newman if not for the ball getting stuck under the fence in the left field corner. With runners on second and third, shortstop Matt Dickason’s sacrifice fly scored Newman one batter later for Longwood’s only run of the game.

Michael Sims popped out to first and Brant Jones grounded to shortstop to end the threat.

Drewyer – who has walked only two batters this year in 48.1 innings pitched – could afford to pitch in the strike zone, working with a comfortable lead from the second inning on.

The Retrievers used a four-run first inning to jump out to that early lead after their ace pitcher allowed only a leadoff single in the top of the first.

A Schickner single was followed by Rich Conlon being issued a walk by Troy Dickman. First baseman Max Himmelstein followed that with an RBI double to plate UMBC’s first run of the day.  D.J. Ream then singled to bring home Conlon.

Michael Pesci’s fielder’s choice scored Himmelstein and Rob McCabe’s single brought home Ream to give UMBC plenty of breathing room early in the game.

“Four runs right away, that sets the standard,” said Himmelstein, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and also drew a walk. “It was huge for us mentally. We could stay out of our own heads, we’re always in our heads.”

The Retrievers’ weekend home stand had gotten off to a rough start, as they lost both games of Saturday’s doubleheader to the Lancers by a combined score of 19-4.

Himmelstein said with Drewyer pitching so well, it was up to the offense to put runs on the board to support him. The lineup has plenty enough pop to score in bunches, he said.

“We have power,” Himmelstein said. “We definitely have power.”

The offensive performance in the first inning was something the Retrievers needed, Jancuska said.

“What it does for a team like us, because we’ve been struggling…they relax a bit,” the coach said.

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