The Black Bears men’s baseball were back in conference action on Saturday, dropping both games of a doubleheader to Binghamton University in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton struck first in game one. With one out in the bottom of the second, third-year catcher Jason Agresti was hit by a pitch and first-year second baseman Justin Drpich followed with a single. Third-year designated hitter Pat Britt followed up with a double, plating Agresti and giving the Bearcats a 1-0.

Maine would answer back in the fourth. Fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz drew a one walk, then advanced to third on a double by third-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett. Third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens grounded a single through the left side, plating Schwanz and tying the game at 1-1. First-year first baseman Hernen Sardinas, followed with another double to plate Bennett and give the Black Bears a 2-1 lead. That would be all for Maine in this inning, as Vicens would be gunned down at the plate, trying to score on a flyout by second-year second baseman Caleb Kerbs.

Binghamton came back in the bottom half of the inning. First-year shortstop Greg Satriale looped a one out single to left, then Herncane walked. Krowiak followed with a double to plate Satriale and tie the game at 2-2.

Herncane would come home on a flyout to give the Bearcats the 3-2 lead, but the scoring was not finished. Second-year third baseman Justin Yurchak would add to the lead with a two-run homer, his first of the season, making the score 5-2.

Binghamton would strike again in the sixth. Herncane led off with a walk, then stole second with one out. A single by Yurchak plated him and gave the Bearcats a 6-2 lead. Fourth-year first baseman Brendan Skidmore then hit a two run shot, also his first of the season, to make the lead 8-2 Binghamton.

Maine would cut into the deficit in the seventh. Second-year shortstop Jeremy Pena poked a one out single, followed by a walk to second-year left fielder Colin Ridley. Third-year catcher Christopher Bec loaded the bases with another single. Schwanz drew a walk to force Pena home, making the score 8-3 Binghamton.

The Bearcats would answer right back in the bottom of the seventh. Drpich launched his first homer of the season, a solo shot to give the Bearcats a 9-3 lead. The game would end at that score.

Third-year right hander Justin Courtney (4-4) got the start for the Black Bears, giving up five earned runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts to get hung with the loss. Second-year right hander Nick Gallagher (5-1) picked up the win for Binghamton, giving up two earned runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three.

Black Bears unable to split doubleheader with Binghamton

The Black Bears were unable to split the doubleheader, dropping game two to Binghamton University 7-4 on Saturday in Vestal, New York.

Maine would strike first in the first inning. Pena led off the game with a single, then stole second with one out. Schwanz would reach on an error with two outs, allowing Pena to come home and give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.

Binghamton would strike back in the bottom of the first. Krowiak led off with a triple. Fourth-year right fielder Eddie Posavec was hit by a pitch, then Yurchak walked to load the bases. Skidmore flew out to left field, moving every runner up and plating Krowiak to knot the game at 1-1. Drpich then laced a single into right, plating two and giving the Bearcats a 3-1 lead.

Command issues plagued Maine’s starting pitcher, third-year right hander John Arel. He walked first-year shortstop Greg Satriale, fourth-year left fielder Darian Herncane, and Krowiak in succession, while chucking a wild pitch to move Satriale and Herncane into scoring position. The walk to Krowiak would be the end of the line for Arel, as second-year right hander Nick Silva came into the game in relief. That is when the Bearcats struck. Posavec lined out to right, plating Satriale and extending the lead to 4-1 Binghamton. Silva would stop any chance of a rally, easily retiring the next two batters.

Maine would answer back in the top half of the fifth. After a strikeout to begin the inning, first-year third baseman Cody Pasic launched his first homer of the season. The solo blast would cut into the deficit, making the score 4-2 Binghamton.

The Bearcats would add to the lead in the bottom of the sixth, in what was a double trouble inning for Silva. Drpich led off with a double, eventually moving over to third with two outs. A wild pitch plated Drpich and extended the Binghamton lead to 5-2. Herncane drew a walk, then stole second. Krowiak laced a double to left to plate Herncane and run the score to 6-2. Another double off the bat of Posavec plated Krowiak, giving the Bearcats a 7-2 lead.

Maine would try to stage a comeback in the top of the seventh. Kerbs drew a walk to lead off the inning, followed by a single off the bat of Pasic. After a foul out by Pena moved Kerbs to third and a strikeout led to two outs, the Black Bears found a little life. Bec drew a walk to load the bases, and Schwanz would coax another walk to make the score 7-3. Bennett reached on an error by Yurchak, making the score 7-4. A fielder’s choice would eventually end the threat.

Arel was finished after 1 inning of work, giving up four runs on two hits with four walks and only one strikeout, taking the loss and dropping his record to 1-1. Silva went five innings of work, giving up three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out five. Third-year left hander Nick Wegman (3-3) went five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

The Black Bears road woes continue, falling to 1-13 away from Mahaney Diamond. They hope to turn things around on Sunday for their finale.

The Black Bears were back in action on Friday as they hosted Manhattan College in a doubleheader on Friday. Maine would would take the first game by a 3-1 score in what was a pitchers duel.

Neither team could get anything going for the first three innings of the game, as Maine starter, third-year right hander Justin Courtney and Manhattan starter in third-year lefty Tom Cosgrove traded zeros for the first three innings.

Maine would strike first in the fourth, as third-year catcher Christopher Bec led off the fourth with a double down the left field line. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Bec would come home on a groundout by fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz, giving the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.

Manhattan would strike back in the top of the fifth. Third-year first baseman Michael Pfenninger roped a double to center with one out. With two outs, third-year right fielder Brendan Bisset roped a single to center, scoring Pfenninger and tying the game at 1-1. Bisset was gunned down down by Bec when he tried to advance to second on the throw.

Second-year shortstop Jeremy Pena led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single. After two groundouts advanced him to third, Pena would come home to score as Schwanz reached on an error by Manhattan’s first-year third baseman Alex Cerda. The error would extend the inning and the Black Bear lead to 2-1.

That run would be enough for Courtney, who would pitch a complete game, giving up one run on seven hits while striking out seven en route to his third win of the season.

However, it would not be the end of the scoring for the Black Bears. Third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens led off the seventh with a bunt single, but an ill-advised throw to first by Cosgrove that ended up down the right field line sent him all the way to third. A sacrifice fly would plate Vicens and give the Black Bears a 3-1 lead.

This would be Courtney’s best start of the season, after chucking eight scoreless against Hartford the week before. This was true for a team that the Black Bears were facing for the first time in seventeen years, but Courtney did not see a need to change his approach.

“Today I wanted to pitch to my strengths. I knew fastball location would be a big part of my game today. I was just trying to stay within my game and it worked out well today,” Courtney said.

Cosgrove would go eight innings for the Jaspers, giving up three unearned runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out five.

Black Bears drop game two of doubleheader

The Black Bears were looking to take game two of the doubleheader Friday from Mahaney Diamond. It would not come to be, as Manhattan would walk off the field victorious, winning 6-4.

Manhattan would strike first in the second inning. Second-year catcher Fabian Pena reached on an error by Maine’s first-year third baseman Cody Pasic. With one out, third-year center fielder Adam Genners singled on a bunt. Fourth-year second baseman Matt Forlow followed that up with a triple to left, plating Pena and Genners to give the Jaspers a 2-0 lead.

Manhattan would tack on another run in the top of the third. Bisset was hit by a pitch from Maine’s starter, third-year Jonah Normandeau, with one out. Fourth-year left fielder Jason Patnick singled to send Bisset to third and Pena would bring Bisset home with a single to center, putting the Jaspers up 3-0.

Maine would rally in the bottom of the fourth. Second-year Caleb Kerbs reached on an error to beginning the inning. Pasic then laced a double down the right field line, scoring Kerbs and putting the Black Bears on the board, 3-1. A single by Jeremy Pena would put runners on the corner, with nobody out and a single by second-year left fielder Colin Ridley plated Pasic, making the score 3-2. A sacrifice bunt would put two men in scoring position and a ground out by Schwanz would tie the game at 3-3. Third-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett would plate Ridley with a double, giving the Black Bears their first lead of the day at 4-3.

The back and forth action continued, as Manhattan would retake the lead in the top of the sixth. Second-year first baseman Richie Barrella would get plunked with one out to get on base. Pfenninger tripled down the right field line, plating Barrella and tying the game up at 4-4. Following an intentional walk, Bisset laced a single to plate Pfenniger and give the Jaspers the lead back, running the score to 5-4.

Manhattan would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Third-year center fielder Brandon Valls reached on an error. With two outs, Pfenninger roped a single to left, plating Valls and giving the Jaspers a 6-4 lead.

Normandeau’s outing was fairly short, going three innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out just two. He would leave with elbow discomfort and the status for his next start up in the air.

Black Bears sweep Saturday slugfest

The Black Bears took the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Manhattan College at Mahaney Diamond, downing the Jaspers 18-13 in a wild one.

A monster first inning set the tone for the Black Bears. Jeremy Pena led things off with a single. Bec laced a double to right center, bringing Pena home from first to put Maine on the board, 1-0. After the second out was recorded, the floodgates opened. Third-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett poked a single to left, scoring Bec to extend the lead to 2-0. After Vicens drew a walk, first-year first baseman Hernen Sardinas laced another double, driving in two and doubling the Black Bears lead to 4-0. Kerbs laced a single off of the glove of Pfenninger, plating Sardinas to put the Black Bears up 5-0. Kerbs would be gunned down at second, but the damage was already done.

Schwanz got the third inning started with a single and then moved up to second on a wild pitch by Jaspers starter, fourth-year right hander Matt Simonetti. Bennett would plate him with a single to put the Black Bears up 6-0. After Vicens moved him over with a bunt, followed by a single by Sardinas, Kerbs plated Bennett with a sacrifice fly, extending the Black Bear lead to 7-0. Simonetti had Sardinas picked off of first base, but a throwing error by Barrella kept the inning alive. Maine threatened to put another run across after a wild pitch, but Simonetti struck Pasic to end the inning.

Manhattan struck back in the top of the fourth. Patnick led off with a single. Forlow followed with a one out single to left. After a strikeout, the Jaspers finally got to Maine starter, first-year right hander Cody Lawyerson. Third-year catcher Ryan Gronlier laced a double to center, plating Patnick and Forlow to put the Jaspers on the board, 7-2. A single by Barrella plated Gronlier to make the score 7-3.

Maine was able to answer back in the bottom half of the inning. Ridley started the rally as he picked up a one out single and then coming into score on a double by Bec, putting the Black Bears ahead 8-3. Schwanz would then get hit by a pitch, marking the end of the line for Simonetti. A single by Vicens off of Jaspers relief pitcher, third-year left handed pitcher Steve Arntsen extended lead to 9-3 Black Bears. A bases loaded walk by Kerbs gave the Black Bears a 10-3 lead. Pasic would get plunked to bring home another run, making the lead 11-3. Pena cleared the bases with a double to the left field fence and the Black Bear lead would balloon to 14-3. The inning mercifully ended with a groundout by Ridley, but the damage was already done.

Manhattan had some life in the top of the fifth, drawing a walk and blooping in a single, but Lawyerson was able to wiggle out of any trouble, getting a flyout and inducing a double play to snuff out any life the Jaspers had.

The Black Bears’ offensive assault continued in the bottom half of the inning. Bec walked to start the inning, then Schwanz doubled after the pitching change, sending Bec to third. A sacrifice fly by Bennett plated Bec and moved Schwanz to third, running the score to 15-3. A sacrifice fly by Vicens plated Schwanz and extended the Black Bear lead to 16-3.

Manhattan was able to chip into the deficit off of the Black Bears reliever first-year right hander Ryan Worthington. Forlow led off with a single, then stole second. Valls singled to put runners on the corners. Gronlier drew a walk to load the bases. Barrella plated two to cut the Black Bear lead down to 16-5. Pfenninger would single to reload the bases. Worthington would get the first out with a strikeout, but Bisset laced a double to left field, clearing the bases and getting the score to 16-8 Black Bears. A walk to Patnick would be it for Worthington, who was replaced by first-year right hander Matt Pushard. A single kept the inning alive, but Pushard was able to end the threat by inducing a flyout.

The Black Bears struck back in the bottom half of the sixth. Pasic drew a one out walk and with two outs, Ridley drew another walk. Bec would rip a single, scoring Pasic to make the score 17-8. After a pitching change, Schwanz would reach on a throwing error by Pfenninger, which would bring Ridley home to give them an 18-8 lead.

Manhattan was able to capitalize on third-year pitcher Chris Murphy in the top of the ninth. After hitting Patnick, walking Fabian Pena and hitting Forlow, Valls roped a triple down the left field line, clearing the bases and making the score 18-11 for the Black Bears.

After finally recording his first out, Murphy unleashed a wild pitch to score Valls, making the score 18-12 Maine. Murphy would be replaced by second-year left hander Eddie Emerson after drilling Barrella. Emerson would have his own issues, hitting Pfenninger. After inducing an infield fly, Emerson gave up a single to Bisset, plating Barrella, but the game would mercifully end when Pfenninger was cut down trying to take third with Ridley’s throw to the plate cut off by Pasic, who would flip to Pena to get the out and ultimately end the charade.

Lawyerson would pick up the win in his first start of the season, giving up three earned runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts over five innings. Simonetti would get pegged with the loss for Manhattan, giving up eight earned on ten hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Black Bears complete Saturday sweep

The Black Bears were on a mission to sweep the doubleheader against Manhattan College on Saturday at the Mahaney Diamond. They did exactly that, taking game two of the twinbill 10-6.

Manhattan struck first in the top of the first inning. Bisset laced a one out single, then stole second. After a hit batsmen, Fabian Pena rocked a double to left, plating two and giving the Jaspers a 2-0 lead on Maine’s starter in third-year right hander John Arel. Arel would settle down, picking up a strikeout and inducing a weak pop out to stop the bleeding.

The Black Bears answered back, with a little help from the wind. Jeremy Pena led off the bottom half of the inning with a homerun to right center, cutting into the deficit, 2-1. Schwanz would follow that up three batters later with a solo home run, tying the game at 2.

Manhattan was able to regain the lead in the top of the second inning. Valls led off with a single and moved up to second on the sacrifice bunt. Pfenninger singled, knocking in Valls to give the Jaspers a 3-2 lead. A single by fourth-year shortstop Jose Carerra put runners on the corners and a stolen base put Arel on the ropes, with two in scoring position with only one out. Arel was able to escape, notching a strikeout and getting a groundout to second to end the inning.

The Black Bears answered back in the back in the second. Vicens beat out a slow roller to third for a single. He would steal second as Mahattan’s starter, fourth-year right hander Joey Rocchietti tried to pick him off and Pfenninger threw the ball into left field, allowing Vicens to move up to third. A single by Kerbs on a flair just out of the reach of Cerda plated Vicens, knotting the game at 3-3.

Maine would take the lead for the first time of the game in the third. Bec launched a one out double to right center. Schwanz laced a single right back up the middle, scoring Bec and giving the Black Bears a 4-3 lead. Vicens would rip a single to left with two outs, plating Schwanz and running the score to 5-3.

The train kept rolling for the Black Bears in the fourth. Rocchietti issued back-to-back walks, then gave up a triple to Pena, scoring both and extending the Black Bear lead to 7-3. After a pitching change, Ridley singled on a pop up that Carrera lost in the sun and landed in the spot he was initially positioned in, putting runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly then made the score 8-3.

Manhattan would cut into the deficit in the fifth. Bisset would lead off with a single and Patnick would draw a walk. After a fly out by Pena, a double by fourth-year designated hitter Evan Brown plated Bisset and made the score 8-4. Patnick and Brown would both come in on a triple by Forlow and the Jaspers would make the score 8-6.

The power surge continued for the Black Bears in the bottom of the fifth. Kerbs went to the opposite field for a home run with one out, running the score to 9-6. Pasic laced a triple down the right field and came home on a flair single to right by Pena to make the score 10-6.

Despite a few shaky innings, Arel would pick up his first win of the season. He gave up six earned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out five. Rocchietti would be the losing pitcher for the Jaspers, giving up eight earned on ten hits, while walking two and striking out two.

Pena busted out during the doubleheader, ripping six hits in nine at bats over the two games.

“I just kept doing what I was doing. I was hitting the ball hard so it was only a matter of time,” Pena said.

The Black Bears will be back in action this week, with a game on Tuesday against Thomas College and then on Wednesday against the University of Maine at Farmington.

The Black Bears took the first game of a doubleheader in their opening series against the University of Hartford at the Mahaney Diamond on Saturday, April 8, winning 1-0.

Spectacular pitching was the storyline for both teams in the first game, as third-year right hander Justin Courtney went toe to toe with the Hawks’ fourth-year right hander Brian Stepniak. The two pitchers combined to allow nine baserunners (five hits, four walks). For Courtney, this was the best start of the season for him, especially when a couple of bad innings skew the statistics. But he knows that there is always another level to go.

“A couple of bad innings had skyrocketed my numbers a little bit, but it’s all about sticking to the process. It felt good to put it all together, go eight strong innings. But there’s always something more to want out of it,” Courtney said.

Something had to give and in the bottom of the ninth, it happened. Fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz led off with a walk, then fourth-year left fielder Lou Della Fera bunted him over. Second-year Caleb Kerbs then reached on an infield single to the shortstop. First-year reliever Drew Farkas came in and promptly gave up a single to third-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett to load the bases. With first-year first baseman Hernan Sardinas at the plate, Farkas uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Schwanz to scamper home for the winning run.

Courtney had gone eight innings on the afternoon, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out five. First-year right hander Cody Lawyerson pitched a flawless ninth to pick up the win for the Black Bears. Stepniak gave up three hits and two walks, while striking out three over seven innings for Hartford.

Black Bears win second game of Saturday’s doubleheader

Game two did not require nearly as much waiting time for a run to score. After recording a quick out, Normandeau, who got the nod to start the game gave up a single to Hartford fourth-year first baseman David MacKinnon, followed by a triple by third-year catcher Erik Ostberg, putting the Hawks up 1-0. After recording the second out, Ostberg would scamper home on a passed ball charged to Bennett, giving the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

The Black Bears would answer back in the bottom half of the inning. Second-year third baseman Danny Casals drew a walk, then stole second. With one out, third-year designated hitter Christopher Bec singled to left, moving Casals to third. Bec would then steal second, putting runners on second and third with one out. After a strikeout for the second out and a walk to load the bases, Kerbs ripped a single vto left, scoring Casals and Bec to knot the game at 2-2.

Maine would add another run in the third, as Bec started the inning with a triple. After a walk, Bennett tagged a sacrifice fly, allowing Bec to score and the Black Bears to take a 3-2.

Hartford had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Second-year left fielder Chris Sullivan singled to start the inning. He would advance to second, but would come out after coming up lame sliding into second. After first-year Jackson Olson came in, third-year third baseman TJ Ward singled him over to third. First-year catcher Bryce Ramsay hit a fly ball that looked deep enough to score Olson, but Maine’s center fielder, third year Brandon Vicens, gunned him down to preserve.

Normandeau settled in after a shaky start, going six innings while giving up the two runs on nine hits with a walk and no strikeouts. Fourth-year right hander Jeff Gelinas entered in the seventh and nailed down the save, despite issuing two walks.

All four of the pitchers that were in the two games for the Black Bears are Mainers, a little fact that Head Coach Nick Derba is sure helped with the weather.

“It’s like these guys have snow in their veins,” Derba said. “Seriously though, these kids have played in these kinds of conditions for years, they knew what they needed to do to get ready for these games and they were tough.”

Both teams will be back in action on Sunday, April 9, to wrap up the three game set.

The Black Bear baseball series against the University of Massachusetts Lowell Riverhawks was moved to Mahaney Diamond, with Lowell still serving as the home team. The Black Bears dropped the first game of the twinbill 4-3.

The game did not get off to a good start for the Black Bears starting pitcher, third-year right hander Justin Courtney, as he plunked Riverhawks second-year center fielder Chris Sharpe and gave up a single to second-year shortstop Oscar Marchena. After recording the first out of the inning with a strikeout, redshirt first-year catcher Austin Young poked a single to center, bringing Sharpe home and giving Lowell a 1-0 lead. Third-year left fielder Colby Maiola flew out to right field, bringing Marchena across to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Black Bears would answer back in the top half of the third. First-year first baseman Hernan Sardinas led off with a single, followed by a single by second-year third baseman Danny Casals, sending Sardinas to third. Casals stole second, putting two runners on in scoring position. After a foul out, fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz roped a double into the left center fielder gap, plating both runners to tie the game at 2.

Maine would take the lead in the top of the sixth. Schwanz would get things started with a double down the left field line and would move to third on a bunt single by second-year left fielder Colin Ridley. Third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens plated the run with a sacrifice fly, running the score to 3-2.

Courtney had settled down nicely after that shaky first, but the wheels would come off again in the bottom half of the inning. Marchena led off with a double to left. Second-year first baseman Steve Passatempo then belted his first homer of the season to left, giving the Riverhawks the lead for good at 4-3. He would surrender a single between two flyouts before being removed for fourth-year left hander Connor Johnson. However, the threat was still alive after a hit batsman and a double steal put runners in scoring position. Johnson was able to wiggle out of trouble with a strikeout, but the damage was done.

Courtney (2-3) went 5.2 innings of work, surrendering four earned runs on six hits while walking one and striking out seven. Third-year right hander Andrew Ryan got the start for Lowell, giving up three earned on seven hits while walking one and striking out six over 5.1 innings of work.

Black Bears swept in doubleheader

The Black Bears were unable to get the bats going in the second game of the doubleheader, as they dropped game two to the Riverhawks on Friday.

The Black Bears had third-year Jonah Normandeau on the hill for game two. After recording the first two outs with ease, second-year first baseman Steve Passatempo drew a walk. Redshirt first-year catcher Austin Young singled him over to third. Normandeau then committed a balk, bringing Passatempo in for what turned out to be the game-winning run.

The Black Bears had no answers for Lowell’s starter, second-year right hander Collin Duffley. After giving up two hits in the first inning, he settled in, giving up just one hit the rest of the way. Duffley tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out 10 over seven innings.

The Riverhawks would add insurance runs in the sixth. A similar pattern was set as Normandeau would get the first two guys out to start the inning, before issuing a free pass to third-year left fielder Colby Maiola. Second-year designated hitter Russ Olive then belted his first homer of the season to push the score to 3-0.

Normandeau (0-3) took the loss in this game, giving up three earned runs on five hits while issuing three walks and striking out six.

The Black Bears fell to 6-15, while the Riverhawks improved to 12-8. These two teams will play the series finale on Sunday, April 9 at noon.

The Black Bears were back in action on Saturday, as they took on the ninth ranked team in Division 1 baseball — the St. John’s Red Storm from Queens, New York. The Red Storm had the upper hand in the first game of the doubleheader, downing Maine by a 3-0 score.

The game started off as a pitcher’s duel between third-year right hander Justin Courtney and Red Storm first-year right hander Sean Mooney. Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard until the fifth, when the wheels slightly fell off for Courtney.

After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Courtney hit third-year center fielder Jamie Galazin with a pitch. That would be followed up with a single by third-year first baseman John Valente, sending Galazin around to third. A passed ball charged to third-year catcher Christopher Bec would plate Galazin for the only run of the inning, albeit the game winner, putting the Red Storm up 1-0.

St. John’s would strike again in the seventh. Fourth-year designated hitter Gui Gingras led off with a single — and was then pinch ran for by first-year outfielder Mike Antico. Another single by third-year right fielder Anthony Brocato moved Antico to third. A sacrifice fly would plate Antico and give the Red Storm a 2-0 edge in the contest. After a single by Galazin that would result in an out on a play at home plate, a stolen base and a walk to Valente, first-year right-hander Cody Lawyerson came into relief, but could not quite put the inning to bed right away. Fourth-year left fielder Michael Donadio singled, plating Galazin and giving St. John’s a 3-0 lead. Lawyerson would get out of the inning on the next batter. The next inning and a half went by without another run coming across.

Mooney went the distance, giving up just four hits and no walks while striking out three. Courtney was solid in the losing effort, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out three.

Maine drops second game of doubleheader

Maine was unable to get the split in the doubleheader, falling to St. John’s in game two 9-3.

Maine was able to draw first blood in the first inning. Second-year third baseman Danny Casals led off the game with a double to right center. After a ground out, Bec laced a double of his own, plating Casals to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead. A passed ball chucked by St John’s first-year pitcher Jeff Belge put Bec on third — and he would score on a sacrifice fly to extend the Maine lead to 2-0.

The Black Bears would add another run on in the second. Third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens led off the inning with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly brought him home to run the score to 3-0.

The Red Storm would chip into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning. After the third-year Black Bear starter Jonah Normandeau got the first two outs, Red Storm third-year catcher Robert Boselli III laced a double. Galazin singled to shortstop, with Boselli coming in to score on the error by Black Bears first-year first baseman Matthew Pushard. The run made the score 3-1 in favor of Maine.

The wheels really came off in the bottom half of the fifth. Normandeau was replaced by first-year left handed pitcher Trevor Delaite — and the results were not pretty. Fourth-year left fielder Michael Donadio was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Third-year shortstop Jesse Berardi followed that with a single. After a sacrifice bunt, second-year second baseman Josh Shaw was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A walk brought Donadio home to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of the Black Bears, but that lead would not hold. Another walk brought another run home, knotting the score at 3-3. Boselli would single to bring home another run, giving St. John’s their first lead of the game, 4-3. That would be it for Delaite, as first-year right handed pitcher Cody Lawyerson came into relief. Lawyerson would then give up a bases-clearing triple to Galazin, running the score to 7-3. The Red Storm would run the score to 8-3 on yet another sacrifice fly before the inning mercifully ended.

St John’s would tack on one last run before the day was through. Once again, the Black Bears were able to record the first two outs in the inning, but would struggle to get the final out of the inning. Donadio tripled, then scored on a single by Berardi to raise the score to 9-3.

Normandeau only went four innings on the afternoon, giving up one unearned run on three hits, though he did issue four walks with only one strikeout on the day. Belge would pick up the win with a six-inning performance that saw him concede three runs (two earned) on five hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Second-year right hander Joe Kelly pitched three no-hit innings to record the save.

These teams square off again on Sunday, April 2 at 1 p.m. to wrap up the series.

Maine swept in series, drop seventh in a row

The University of Maine baseball team was looking to end a serious drought against St. John’s down in Queens, New York on Sunday. Unfortunately, they were not able to do so as they fell 15-1.

St. John’s came right out of the gates by putting up a crooked number in the first. Valente led off the game with a single. Donadio put the Red Storm up 1-0 with a triple that plated Valente. Berardi brought Donadio home with another single to run the score to 2-0. After a stolen base and single by Gingras, Black Bear starter second-year right hander Nick Silva chucked a wild pitch, plating Berardi to run the score up to 3-0 Red Storm. After moving up to second on the pitch and reaching third on a single, Gingras would come in to score when fourth-year catcher Troy Dixon bounced into a double play. This brought the score to 4-0. Second-year second baseman Josh Shaw singled, then scored on a fielding error by Maine’s second-year left fielder Colin Ridley which brought the score up to 5-0.

Dixon led off the bottom of the third with walk. Silva loaded the bases with a walk, then brought the sixth St. John’s run in after hitting Valente. Donadio plated two more runs with a single to right to make the score 8-0. That would be the end of the line for Silva, lasting just 2.1 innings while giving up nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits with three walks. He did not record a strikeout. The ninth run came in after fourth-year left hander Connor Johnson got Berardi to bounce into a fielder’s choice that plated Valente, making the score 9-0.

The Red Storm added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. After a groundout to begin the inning, Shaw reached on an error by Casals. Back to back singles by fourth-year third baseman Robbie Knightes and third-year center fielder Jamie Galazin made the score 10-0.

The barrage continued into the sixth. First-year third baseman Ryan Markey led off with a single. Galazin reached on a fielder’s choice, then advanced to third on Valente’s single, with Valente moving to second. Galazin would score on a ground out by Donadio, bringing the score 11-0 Red Storm. Berardi would single to bring home Valente, giving St.John’s a 12-0 advantage.

The Red Storm added on again in the 7th. First-year center fielder Mike Antico came on as a pinch hitter and promptly drew a walk. The next batter, another pinch hitter in third-year Kevin Buckley, also drew a walk. Then another pinch hitter, third-year second baseman Jordan Gillerman also drew a walk to load the bases. St. John’s would score the first run of the inning with getting a hit, as Markey reached on catcher’s interference, bringing the score to 13-0. The pattern would continue when Buckley scored on a double-play, giving the Red Storm a 14-0 leading.

The Black Bears finally got on the board in the eighth inning. Third-year catcher Christopher Bec led off with a single, but was quickly erased on a double play. Ridley drew a two-out walk and third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens poked a single. First-year first baseman Hernan Sardinas brought Ridley home by reaching on a throwing error by Valente. The score would get to 14-1 St. John’s.

The Red Storm were able to answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. Berardi began the inning with a single, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a ground out, a sacrifice fly by Antico plated Berardi, making the score 15-1.

Red Storm starter, second-year right hander Michael Lopresti picked up the win for the afternoon, going six shutout innings while giving up three hits and two walks while striking out five.

The Black Bears (6-13) are back in action as they take on conference foe Stony Brook next weekend. They will look to end a what would be weeklong drought.

Maine baseball downs South Dakota

After dealing with a weekend sweep at the hands of Winthrop University, the Black Bears picked up their first win of the season, downing Central Connecticut State 6-3 from Del Ray, Fla. on Friday afternoon.

The Black Bears struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Third-year designated hitter Christopher Bec led off with double and came around to score on another double by third-year catcher Jonathan Bennett. Bennett would advance to third on a ground out and then—  after a walk by redshirt second-year Caleb Kerbs — would score as Kerbs got caught in a rundown between first and second. The run would extend the Black Bear lead to 2-0.

Maine would add onto their lead in the third, started off by a single by fourth-year left fielder Lou Della Fera. Fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz would single, putting two men on with nobody out. Second-year shortstop Jeremy Pena laid down an intended sacrifice bunt, but reached on a throwing error by Blue Devils first starting pitcher Mike Appel. The error would bring Della Fera home, running the score to 3-0 Black Bears. Second-year third baseman Danny Casals drove Schwanz in with a groundout to short, raising the score 4-0.

For the third inning in a row, the Black Bears would tack on runs. Third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens led off with a single. He would move up to second after Appel uncorked a wild pitch, then reached third on a throwing error by second-year catcher Dylan Maher. A double by first-year first baseman Hernan Sardinas brought Vicens home, running the score to 5-0. A sacrifice bunt would move Sardinas to third with one out. Della Fera would then reach on an error by second baseman Ron Jackson, with Sardinas scampering home to run the score to 6-0. A single by Schwanz would be the end of the line for Appel, who gave up 7 hits and 6 runs (2 earned), while issuing one walk and striking out two.

Central Connecticut would break up Courtney’s shutout in the 6th. Second-year shortstop Dean Lockery led off the inning with a double. He would then score on a double by second-year third baseman Ryan Costello, bringing the score to 6-1 Black Bears. The sixth would be the last inning Courtney (1-1) would go. He gave up one run on five hits, giving up two walks and striking out eight.

After a clean seventh inning, redshirt third-year Zach Winn had some command issues in the eighth and the Blue Devils were able to capitalize. Designated hitter Terry Bowens would lead off with a walk, followed by an infield single by second-year left fielder Buddy Dewaine. A passed ball led to both runners moving into scoring position and then a wild pitch led to Bowen coming home to score, bringing the score to 6-2. A groundout would plate Dewaine and allow the Blue Devils to cut into the lead even further, bringing the score to 6-3.

The Black Bears will look to start up a winning streak as they take on the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits on Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m.

Black Bears snag second win of the season

The Black Bears garnered enough offense to pick up their second win of the season, downing South Dakota State University 4-3 from Del Ray, Fla. on Saturday.

Maine (2-3) drew first blood in this game in the top of the second. After a groundout to start the inning, Bennett singled. n Vicens doubled, putting runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly would plate Bennett, bringing the score to 1-0.

The Jackrabbits would strike back in the bottom half of the inning. After Black Bears redshirt third-year starter Jonah Normandeau retired the first two batters in the inning, first-year center fielder Landon Badger doubled to left field and then stole third. A single by first-year shortstop Jake Thompson plated Badger and tied the score at one.

South Dakota State would tack onto the lead in the third. Third-year designated hitter Anthony Schneider was plunked to start the inning. After two flyouts, Normandeau walked the next batter he faced. Fourth-year first baseman Matt Johnson singled to right center, plating Schneider to run the score to 2-1. Johnson was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double.

The Black Bears struck back in the 6th. Bec led off the inning with a solo home run, tying the game up at two.

The Jackrabbits pulled ahead again in the bottom half of the 6th. After a strikeout to start the inning, third-year third baseman Newt Johnson singled. Johnson scored on a double by Matt Johnson to get the score to 3-2. Johnson was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple, but the damage was already done.

Fourth-year right handed starter Ryan Froom was taken out after six innings of work, giving up two runs on eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts on the inning. Third-year right hander Derek Feige (0-1) came in relief and the Black Bears took advantage of the pitching change. Fourth-year right fielder Tyler Schwanz led off the inning with a single. Some wildness by Feige put Schwanz in scoring position, getting to third on two wild pitches. After a strikeout, Schwanz scored on yet another wild pitch, tying the game at three.

Third-year left handed pitcher Connor Johnson came into relief of Normandeau, who gave up three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out eight over the six innings of work. He would pick up the win with two innings of shutout relief effort, giving up three hits and no walks while striking out two.

The Black Bears took the lead for good in the top of the eighth. Sardinas drew a walk with two outs, then advanced to second on yet another wild pitch by Feige. Sardinas would come around to score on a single by redshirt second-year second baseman Caleb Kerbs, giving Maine a 4-3. Fourth year right hander Jeff Gelinas nailed the door shut to pick up his second save of the season.

The Black Bears are back in action with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 5 with the first game at 9 a.m. against the Jackrabbits and then again at noon against Central Connecticut State.

Black Bears drop opener against Winthrop

The Black Bears started off the season with a trip down to Rock Hill, S.C. to play a three-game set with the Winthrop University Eagles. They would drop the season opener Friday afternoon by a 12-5 score.

With two outs in the first inning, second-year third baseman Danny Casals roped a double. Third-year catcher Christopher Bec would drive Casals in with a single, advancing to second on the throw. Bec would later score on another single by third-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett, putting the Black Bears (0-1) up 2-0 heading into the bottom of the inning.

Winthrop would capitalize on the wildness of third-year starter Justin Courtney. Courtney would walk Eagles first-year leadoff hitter Scout McFalls, plunk second-year second baseman Brandon Fite and walk redshirt fourth-year left fielder Anthony Paulsen. Fourth-year catcher Babe Thomas would rip a double to bring in McFalls and Fite, tying the game at two. Second-year right fielder Hunter Lipscomb brought Paulsen and Thomas home on a Courtney throwing error, running the score 4-2 in favor of Winthrop. A single and a stolen base by Lipscomb later and the Eagles would plate their fifth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by second-year center fielder Matthew Mulkey. The score would be raised to 6-2 with an RBI triple by redshirt second-year third baseman Jake Sullivan.

A familiar sight would be brought back in the top half of the third inning. With two outs, Casals walked, Bec poked a single and Bennett drove Casals in with a single of his own, cutting into the deficit with a 6-3 score.

Winthrop would add to its lead in the bottom of the third. Lipscomb would lead the inning off with a solo home run, giving the Eagles their four-run lead back at 7-3.

The Eagles would extend the lead in the next inning, when Thomas corked a two out, solo shot to run the score to 8-3. That inning would be it for Courtney (0-1), as he finished the afternoon giving up eight runs (six earned) on six hits, while walking four and striking out four.

With one out in the top of the fifth, fourth-year outfielder Tyler Schwanz would advance all the way to third on a fielding error by Mulkey. Second-year shortstop Jeremy Pena would bring him in on a sacrifice fly to left, making the score 8-4 in favor of the Eagles.

Things did not get any easier for the Black Bears’ new pitcher, first-year Sam McCarthy. Lipscomb would start the inning for the Eagles with a single and McCarthy would then plunk redshirt third-year first baseman Tyler Halstead. After a sacrifice bunt, McCarthy uncorked a wild pitch allowing Lipscomb to score and Halstead to move to third, putting the Eagles up 9-4. McFalls would drive Halstead in with a single to bring the score to 10-4. After a stolen base and a walk, Paulsen would bring home another run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 11-4.

Maine would add another run in the seventh. With one out, Schwanz would rope a double to give the Black Bears some life. With two outs and two runners on base, Bec would drive Schwanz in with another single, bringing the score to 11-5.

The scoring barrage would have one last go courtesy of Winthrop in the bottom of the eighth. Lipscomb would plate shortstop Mitch Spires with a sacrifice fly after Spires tripled with one out. This flyout would bring the score to 12-5, where it would stand.

These two teams will square off again Saturday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. at Winthrop Park.

Black Bears disastrous inning dooms hopes of redemption

The Black Bears were back in action on Saturday, looking to settle rebound after a demoralizing loss to Winthrop University down in South Carolina. One bad inning denied them their first win of the season, as they dropped game two of the series 12-5.

A pitchers duel ensued for the first three innings, as redshirt third-year right-handed pitcher Jonah Normandeau locked horns with Winthrop second-year left-handed starting pitcher Thad Harris. It was not until the fourth when either team was able to push any runs across.

Casals opened the inning with a double, later advancing to third on a ground out. Another ground out by third-year center fielder Brandon Vicens would plate Casals, giving the Black Bears a 1-0 lead. After a single by first-year first baseman Hernan Sardinas, Bennett would scamper home as Sardinas was caught in a rundown trying to steal second. This would run the score to 2-0 Black Bears.

Then the gates opened. Winthrop would rally for 11 runs off of three different pitchers. After giving up two walks around a flyout to left, Eagles third-year shortstop Mitch Spires roped a triple to bring in two runs, tying the game at 2. Second-year left hander Eddie Emerson came in to relieve Normandeau and promptly gave up a two run home run to second-year right fielder Hunter Lipscomb, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game 4-2. An error by Pena and another single ran the score to 5-2 in favor of Winthrop. Another single ran the score to 6-2 and would be the end for Emerson.

Things did not get much better for third-year left handed pitcher Connor Johnson, as he battled through control issues within the first few batters, issuing two walks in three batters, including one with the bases loaded to run the score to 7-2. Control continued to be a problem, as Johnson uncorked a wild pitch, allowing another run to score and give the Eagles an 8-2 lead. Thomas would bring two more runs in with a single to bring the score up now to 10-2. After a foul out to right field, Thomas would steal second and then come home to score on a single by Lipscomb, bringing the score to 11-2. The inning would mercifully end as Lipscomb was caught stealing second.

Maine would chip into the deficit in the top of the seventh, when Vicens would lead off with a single. After a strikeout, redshirt second-year infielder Caleb Kerbs would draw a walk and both would move up a base after a wild pitch. Fourth-year outfielder Lou Della Fera drove them both in after an error by Fite, bringing the score to 11-4.

The Eagles would pick up another run in the bottom half of the seventh after a solo homerun by designated hitter Grant English. The lead would extend to 12-4.

Maine was able to pick up a run in the eighth. Bec would open the inning with a single. Bennett would double and then Vicens would single to load the bases with nobody out, giving the Black Bears the perfect rally opportunity. It never came to fruition, as Sardinas struck out, Kerbs drove in Bec with a ground out and Fera struck out. That would be it for Maine, only taking a nibble out the deficit by bringing the score to 12-5.

Normandeau (0-1) went 5.1 innings of work, giving up three runs on three hits while walking four and striking out three.

The Black Bears, having lost both the games of the weekend series, will look to avoid the sweep in game three of the series on Sunday.

Black Bears Drop First Game to UConn

The Black Bears were back in action on Friday night, looking to start a winning streak against the University of Connecticut Huskies. It would not happen, as the Black Bears would fall to the Huskies 2-1 at the Alfond Arena.

The Black Bears (9-20-1, 5-16-1) struggled to get any offense going in the early stages of the game as the majority of play was from the UConn blue line all the way to the Maine end. They more than made up for it on the defensive side, as the Huskies (14-13-4, 9-10-2) were unable to break through the wall in front of first-year goaltender Carly Jackson. Maine was able to put some pressure on Connecticut, but the Huskies held up in front of their own goaltender in third-year goaltender, Annie Belanger.

The Huskies would strike first with 8:10 to go in the first, just 9 seconds into the power play after a penalty by second-year forward Cassidy Herman. The Connecticut defensive pairing was responsible, as fourth-year Jessica Stott found second-year partner Jamie Fox, who ripped off a slap shot that ricocheted past Jackson. It was the 30th goal of the season given up by Black Bear goaltenders, leading to a conference worst 76 percent penalty kill against Hockey East opponents.

The Black Bears got off to a strong start offensively and cleaned up after their early mistakes to start the second period with a power play after a penalty by second-year Nora MacLaine late in the first, but the Huskies defense held to kill off the penalty and started applying the pressure as soon as they could.

A defensive struggle ensued in the second period, as both teams swarmed the puck, clogged up the passing lanes to intercept and played aggressively on the pokecheck. Something had to give eventually.

And it did with 5:46 left in the period, when fourth-year right wing Morgan Sakundiak found third-year center, Brooke Stacey just outside the crease to Belanger’s stick side.  Stacey poked right in for her 14th goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1.

Connecticut would answer back with 2:18 left in the period on a goal by second-year right winger Rebecca Lindblad that had been corralled off a deflected shot by third-year left wing Reese Maccario. The game would head into the second intermission with the Black Bears down 2-1.

The two teams would knot themselves in yet another defensive struggle in the third. Maine was able to cycle the puck around cleanly, but just could not break through Connecticut’s wall. The Huskies, meanwhile, leaned heavily on that defensive wall, as the offense struggled in basic puck movement, including flubbing on a pass that resulted in Maine getting called for icing.

The Black Bears had a golden opportunity to tie the game after a penalty on second year defenseman Kayla Mee, but they were unable to capitalize, as the Huskies pressured in front of the net and made it impossible to muster up a big shot.

The Black Bears would pull Jackson with 2:10 left in regulation gain the man advantage the rest of the way, but it would not be enough to penetrate the Huskies defense.

Jackson would finish the night with 20 saves on 22 shots, but Belanger would outduel her, making 26 saves on the night. The two teams will be back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Jackson pitches shutout in net as Maine wins on Senior Day

The Black Bears women’s hockey team were Back in action on Saturday, looking to give the seniors one last hurrah on Senior Day in front of the Alfond faithful. They would get that with a thrilling 1-0 victory over the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Finishing proved to be difficult for both teams in the early going, as the Black Bears and Huskies were able to work from one end of the ice to the other with ease. However, once in the offensive zones, both defenses clamped down. Shooting lanes were disrupted and getting off missile wrist shots or blistering slapshots became impossible. Through the first 7 minutes of play, the two teams combined for five shots on goal (though more were taken when you factor in blocks and wide shots). It was a matter of who would blink first.

It was Connecticut who would blink, with under a minute to go in the first period. Fourth-year right wing Emilie Brigham found third-year center Brooke Stacey just outside the crease to the glove side of UConn’s third-year goaltender, Annie Belanger. Stacey would sneak a wrist shot right past Belanger to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.

Defensive play expanded at the start of the second period, as the neutral zone became a battleground of puck control. A substantial amount of play in the early going was in the Black Bear defensive zone, but Jackson stood tall for Maine, with help from her defense, of course.

The Black Bears had a chance to extend the lead to 2-0 on the power play and the puck did bounce off a stick past Belanger into the net. The referees waved it off though as goaltender interference was called, it looked like third-year left wing Catherine Tufts did have her stick slightly in the way (replay was inconclusive). The defensive stalemate would run through the remainder of the period as the Black Bears would hold their 1-0 lead heading into the final stanza.

The third period started very much like the first: Great cycling around by both teams to get the puck into the other team’s zone, but an inability to finish off with a goal. The Black Bears had another golden opportunity to extend the lead, but a shot hitting the pipe and then being sent wide on the rebound gave Connecticut the break they needed.

Jackson would finish the afternoon with 27 saves, while Belanger would finish with 35.

“I was happy with our effort overall. We were in control, and executed well. I’d say it was even moreso [sic] today with yesterday,” Maine Coach Richard Reichenbach said.

“The seniors knew this was their last weekend here, and gave it everything they had. I thought Emilie (Brigham) played her best game of the season. Same with (Brooke) Stacey. And Carly (Jackson) was tremendous again,” Reichenbach said.

The defensive stalemate ended with the Black Bears notching their 10th victory of the season, improving to 10-20-1, including 6-16-1 in Hockey East. Connecticut would fall to 14-14-4, including 9-11-2 in conference.

Looking ahead, the Black Bears will head down to Boston to take on the Boston University Terriers at Agganis Arena next Sunday. The Huskies will head back home for a weekend series with the University of New Hampshire.