Baseball wins series against Binghamton

Originally Posted on The Maine Campus via UWIRE

The University of Maine baseball team (14-29, 8-10) was back in action with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 5 against the Binghamton University Bearcats (14-27-1, 8-13). The Black Bears split the doubleheader by dropping the first game 7-4 before winning the second game 4-2.

The starter for the Black Bears in the first game was second-year Trevor Delaite. Delaite is coming off a four-inning appearance in which he gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He walked two and struck out two.

Third-year Nick Gallagher got the nod for Binghamton. He entered the game with a 2-6 record and a 5.51 ERA while striking out 44 over 49 innings.

Binghamton got on the board first when fourth-year first baseman Luke Tevlin hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing fourth-year centerfielder CJ Krowiak to score, putting the Bearcats up 1-0.

Neither team would score again until the fifth, when Krowiak looped a single to left, bringing first-year second baseman Jake Evans around to score, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the sixth, Evans ripped an RBI single of his own, bringing first-year designated hitter Shane Marshall home and giving the Bearcats a 3-0 lead. Fourth-year shortstop Paul Rufo laced a double down the left line, bringing Evans and redshirt second-year left fielder Daniel Franchi to raise the lead to 5-0 in the Bearcats’ favor.

Binghamton  tacked on more runs in the seventh. This time, Marshall joined the hit parade with a two-run triple to right center, plating both Tevlin and fourth-year catcher Jason Agresti to run the score to 7-0.

The Black Bears made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Errors on back-to-back plays by Tevlin and an infield single by third-year third baseman Danny Casals loaded the bases for fourth-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett. Bennett cleared the sacks with a double down the right field line to make the score 7-3. Bennett scored on a sacrifice fly by redshirt third-year second baseman Caleb Kerbs to make it 7-4. Binghamton brought in third-year Robert Brown in relief of Gallagher, and Brown slammed the door shut over the final 2.1 innings.

Delaite was charged with the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits over 5.1 innings of work. He walked three and struck out two. Gallagher earned the win, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits over 6.2 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

Black Bears split doubleheader

Maine avenged the loss in the first game of the doubleheader with a 4-2 win in the second.

Fourth-year John Arel got the start for the Black Bears. He was roughed up in his last start against UMBC, giving up seven runs over 3.1 innings.

The Bearcats trotted out fourth-year Nick Wegmann. He entered the game with a 3-6 record and a 4.12 ERA.

Binghamton would take a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Tevlin launched a triple to center, bringing Agresti around to score. Second-year catcher TJ Wegmann brought Tevlin home on a sacrifice bunt to extend the Bearcat lead to 2-0.

Maine chipped away at the deficit in the bottom half of the inning. As Casals went down on a strikeout, fourth-year catcher Christopher Bec stole third, then scored on a throwing error by Evans, making the score 2-1.

Third-year shortstop Jeremy Pena plated Kerbs with a single in the bottom of the fifth, knotting the game at 2-2. Second-year right fielder Hernen Sardinas followed up with a double into the gap, scoring Pena to give the Black Bears their first lead of the game at 3-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Kerbs capped off the scoring with an RBI double that brought second-year left fielder Kevin Doody and ran the score to 4-2. Arel would finish the game off with a one-two-three inning for the win.

Arel went seven innings on the game, giving up two runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out eight in picking up his team-high fifth win of the season. Wegmann was charged with the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits. He walked two and struck out seven over 4.2 innings.

Black Bears pick up series win

Maine picked up the series win by a 6-1 score on Sunday, May 6.

Second-year Cody Laweryson started the game for the Black Bears. He entered Sunday’s contest 0-3 with a 4.31 ERA after his latest start against UMBC, in which he gave up five runs in five innings.

The Bearcats sent redshirt fourth year Jacob Wloczewski out to the rubber for this one. Wloczewski came in with a 2-5 record and a 6.02 ERA on the season.

Maine got on the board in the first inning. Pena laced the first pitch of the game into the right centerfield gap and legged out a triple. Wloczewski unleashed a wild one, and Pena scampered home to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.

With runners on first and second, Bec laid down a bunt and was tagged out by Agresti, who threw the ball into center field, allowing Pena to come across for the 2-0 Black Bear lead. Casals went the other way and dropped a double at the base of the foul pole, driving in another run and extending the lead to 3-0. Bennett then launched a two-run homer to right to give the Black Bears a 5-0 lead. That was the end of the line for Wloczewski, who was replaced by first-year lefthander Reid VanScoter. VanScoter slammed the door shut on the inning, but the damage was done.

Binghamton got on the board in the sixth, when Tevlin doubled to left field. Third-year right fielder Anthony Meduri, who reached on a fielding error by Pena, came around to score, cutting the deficit to 5-1.

The Black Bears got the run back in the bottom of the eighth. Bec led off the inning by driving a solo shot to left, giving Maine the 6-1 lead. That would be all the scoring, as redshirt fourth-year Jonah Normandeau finished the Bearcats off with a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Laweryson went 5.1 innings on the game, giving up an unearned run on five hits. He struck out five, did not walk a batter, and picked up his first win of the season. Wloczewski was tagged with his sixth loss of the season, giving up five runs on seven hits and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings.

The Black Bears head to Albany, New York to take on the University at Albany Great Danes on May 12 and 13. The Bearcats play a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 8 at Siena College before taking on UMBC for three games on May 12 and 13.

Read more here: https://mainecampus.com/2018/05/baseball-wins-series-against-binghamton/
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