BALTIMORE — Brad Hipsley came off the bench and helped the Stony Brook baseball nearly complete an improbable comeback bid in the opener of a four-game series against UMBC on Saturday.

Then, in Game 2, Hipsley made his first start since March 7 and completed an eight-RBI day as Stony Brook defeated the Retrievers, 13-1, to move closer to clinching the America East regular-season title.

The Seawolves now own a 21-9 record in America East with six games remaining — up six games in the loss column on UAlbany, the team with the next-best record.

Stony Brook dropped the opener to UMBC, 8-7.

In Game 2, Stony Brook launched five homers — matching a March 19, 2019, game against Army for the most in the past decade.

Hipsley twice staked the Seawolves to an early lead — with a second-inning sacrifice fly and fourth-inning RBI single. An inning after the latter score, Shane Paradine launched a two-run homer in the fifth for a 4-1 cushion. Stanton Leuthner padded the lead with a solo homer in the sixth.

Hipsley's three-run homer capped a five-run seventh that sealed the win.

His five RBIs in Game 2 established a career high.

Evan Giordano and John Tuccillo also went deep in the nightcap.

Nick DeGennaro benefited from the gaudy support. He limited the Retrievers to one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven in seven innings.

In Game 1, the Seawolves roared back from an eight-run deficit and nearly pulled out the victory. When Ryan Micheli, Leuthner and Hipsley delivered consecutive run-scoring doubles with two out in the final inning, Stony Brook had pulled within a run. However, the five-run frame stalled with Hipsley in scoring position as the tying run.

Freshman Quinlan Montgomery handled the fifth inning in his collegiate debut in relief in the opener. Fellow freshman Shane Helmstadt followed Montgomery and contributed a scoreless inning.

The teams complete the weekend series with a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m.