Emmitsburg, Md. (March 24, 2009)--Max Brittenham (Stamford, Conn./St. Luke's) struck out seven in 6.1 innings to lead Mount St. Mary's to a 7-3 victory over UMBC on Tuesday afternoon at Straw Family Stadium on campus. The Mount (6-9) scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally from a 3-1 deficit and earn the win.

Brittenham allowed three runs (one earned) to improve to 2-2 on the season. The junior right-hander leads the team with 28 strikeouts this season.

At the plate, Matt Staso (Ellicott City, Md./Mount St. Joseph) went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI while Shane Eyler (Taneytown, Md./Francis Scott Key) was 2-for-3 with a double and a steal.

UMBC got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third inning. The Retrievers (4-9) loaded the bases on back-to-back singles from Wink Nolan and Curtis Schinckner and a walk by Brad Brainer. Shawn Retz then walked with the bases full to plate the run, but Brittenham got out of further damage when he struck out Tom Meaney looking to end the frame.

The Mount responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Staso singled up the middle and stole second. After a walk to Eyler, Joe Kavanagh (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) legged out a double on a ball to right field to score Staso with the game-tying run.

UMBC answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth. Brainer doubled home Schinckner, who reached on an error with one out. Retz then grounded into a fielder's choice to score Brainer.

The Mount grabbed the lead with a three-run fifth inning. Alex Andrews (Vienna, Va./James Madison) was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Tony Quaranta (New Freedom, Pa./Loyola Blakefield) followed with a bunt to the pitcher, but the throw to first went into right field, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Mike Matta (Woodbridge, Va./Potomac) then laced a two-run single to right to even the score. Matta then stole second, moved to third on a ground out, and scored the go-ahead run on a Staso sacrifice fly.

The Mount added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Eyler scored on an Andrews sacrifice fly. The Mountaineers added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kavanagh reached on an error and then scored on a Josh Winter (Timonium, Md./Boys' Latin) triple to left-center field. Winter scored on the play when the relay throw to third went into the UMBC dugout.

The Retrievers made things interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs, but Matta retired Dave Warrenfeltz on a line drive to the pitcher to end the game.

The Mount returns to action tomorrow with a noon doubleheader at Maryland-Eastern Shore.