Troy Carpenter hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Brennan Rumpf of Falmouth pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings to close out a 5-4 win for the University of Maine over UMBC in the America East baseball tournament Thursday in Vestal, New York.
Rumpf, a sophomore right-hander, was summoned with one out in the sixth after Anthony Mascuilli’s RBI single off UMaine starter Vaun Larisa (4-4) cut the Black Bears’ lead to 5-4. Rumpf got Danny Orr to ground into a double play, then worked around four hits over the final three innings to earn his second save of the season.
The victory sends UMaine (23-30) to a winners bracket game at 1 p.m. Friday against No. 1 seed Binghamton.
The third-seeded Black Bears grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. UMBC starter Eddie Sargent walked three of the first five batters, and Quinn Murphy cleared the bases with a double to right center.
UMBC (28-23), the No. 2 seed, answered with a run in the bottom half and two in the second.
It was still 3-3 with Hunter St. Denis led off the fifth with a single. Carpenter followed with a driver over the left-field wall for his 15th home run of the season.
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