Preview: UMBC Retrievers at Penn Quakers

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Penn Quakers will look for their first win of the season when they host the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers in the opener of a Saturday doubleheader at Hank DeVincent Field.

First pitch is scheduled for a chilly, cloudy afternoon with temperatures around 42 degrees.

The Quakers (0-6) are coming off a winless road trip, most recently dropping three games at Mercer. Penn’s offense has struggled, but outfielder Jack Warner provided a spark last Sunday, hitting a home run and driving in three runs in a 10-5 loss.

The Retrievers (3-4) arrive after a split of a four-game series with Monmouth, which included a 13-0 loss on Sunday. UMBC’s strength has been its pitching at times, led by starter Brady LeJeuneDeAcutis. In his last outing, he allowed two earned runs over five innings in that loss to Monmouth. On Feb. 21 at Longwood, he threw four hitless innings of relief with five strikeouts.

Penn’s search for a consistent offensive performance continues. Beyond Warner’s Sunday homer, the Quakers were held to one run in two of their three losses at then-Texas A&M to open the season.

UMBC has shown more firepower, scoring 10 or more runs in three games this season, including a 12-7 win at Georgetown on Feb. 25.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is UMBC 3, Penn 1.

The doubleheader begins a two-game weekend set between the programs. The Quakers will continue a nine-game homestand next week against Delaware and Rutgers before heading to East Carolina. The Retrievers return home to Maryland next week for games against Mount Saint Mary’s and Delaware State before a trip to Florida Atlantic.