On April 25, the University of Maine baseball team hosted the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders at Mahaney Diamond. The Black Bears fought through a low-scoring, defensive battle to take a 1–0 victory in the first game of their America East Conference series, which ended after seven innings under the mercy rule.
The game opened with strong pitching from both sides, setting the tone for a tight contest. Maine’s starter, third-year pitcher Caleb Leys, was sharp from the first pitch, working efficiently through the NJIT lineup and keeping runners off the bases. The Black Bears’ defense was also locked in early, backing up Leys with clean, error-free fielding to maintain a scoreless game through the first inning.
Maine finally broke through offensively in the second inning. First-year infielder Evan Menzel reached base and was brought home by a key hit from fourth-year infielder Myles Sargent, giving Maine the lead. Despite a quiet night at the plate overall, the Black Bears capitalized on their opportunity and made it count. Runs were hard to come by for both teams, but Maine’s smart baserunning and clutch hitting proved to be the difference.
No other runs were scored in the rest of the game. Leys continued to dominate on the mound, keeping the highlanders in check throughout the rest of the game. NJIT had few chances to tie the game. Every time, Maine found a way to shut the door, whether it was through strong pitching, clean fielding, or intelligent decision-making.
Maine continued to power through despite not scoring anything past the second inning. The Highlanders had multiple base runners throughout the game, but the Black Bears were ready for every play on the field. The game ended with no errors on Maine and two on New Jersey.
The game was called after seven innings under the mercy rule. Maine won 1-0 in game one of the weekend series. Sargent has gone seven straight games with an RBI, as he hit to center field for a single, which was the play that brought Menzel in the second inning.
Leys also went the distance, as he threw a complete game shutout, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out five.
As the regular season winds down, the Black Bears must stay sharp and continue executing in all areas of the game—pitching, defense and offense. Friday’s win was a reminder of how Maine can rely on every aspect of the game to pull out a victory, and they’ll look to carry that momentum into their next series and beyond as they push for the postseason, currently sitting in first in the America East standings.
The Black Bears will look ahead to closing out the regular season with the upcoming game against the Boston College Eagles for a mid-week matchup in Massachusetts on April 30. Then, the Black Bears will head to Rhode Island for a weekend series on May 2 against the Bryant University Bulldogs. The team will return home to close their conference play with more crucial games.