The University of Maine baseball team (11-28) traveled to Maryland to take on the Retrievers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (17-20) for a three-game series on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Black Bears fell to the Retrievers 9-4. The Black Bears lead the all-time series with the Retrievers 42-12.

In the first game, redshirt fourth-year Zach Winn got the start on the mound for the Black Bears. Winn appeared in 16 games last season, making two starts with 14 relief appearances. Starting on the mound for the Retrievers was first-year Max Goron, who has made 10 appearances so far this season, starting five.

In the top of the second, Maine got on the board first when fourth-year Jonathan Bennett singled to the right side, which then scored fourth-year Christopher Bec to give Maine the early lead.

In the top of the third, second-year Cody Pasic led off the inning with a single and then moved to second on a ball by third-year Jeremy Pena. Pasic then scored off of two wild pitches to make it 2-0. Then, Bennett hit a double to score second-year Hernen Sardinas and third-year Danny Casals, putting the Black Bears ahead 4-0.

The Retrievers came roaring back in the bottom of the third. Fourth-year Zack Bright made it 4-2 with a two-run homer. First-year Joey Goodwin made it it 4-3 when he singled to score second-year Christian Torres. Fourth-year Collin Stack capped the scoring when he hit a grand slam to make it 7-4 in their favor.

In the sixth inning, UMBC scored again to make it 8-4 on an RBI single by Goodwin. He would add another RBI single in the eighth.

Winn was roughed up on the game, giving up seven runs on six hits and two walks over 2.2 innings. He finished the day with three strikeouts.

Goron earned his third win of the season, giving up four runs on four hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out two. Second-year Mitchell Wilson picked up his first save of the season, going three perfect innings with two strikeouts.

Maine baseball falls to UMBC in game two

The University of Maine baseball team played their second game of the day against UMBC on Saturday, April 28. Maine fell to the Retrievers in game one, 9-4. In the second game, the Black Bears fell short, 7-4.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was fourth-year John Arel, who earned Pitcher of the Week by pitching a no-hitter against UMass-Lowell on April 21. Starting on the mound for the Retrievers was graduate student Chase Bailey.

In the second inning, the Black Bears took a 3-0 lead, when Pena, Pasic and second-year Kevin Doody scored off of a single by Casals. The Retrievers made it 3-1 when third-year Raven Beeman homered.

In the bottom of the third, Bright hit a homer to center field to tie up the game. UMBC took the lead off of a single by first-year Dmitri Floyd. Beeman then tripled to center to make it 6-3.

Pena then made it 6-4 when he homered to left field. In the bottom of the fourth, UMBC would put the final nail in the coffin when redshirt fourth-year Matt Campbell took two extra bases on throwing errors by Bennett and fourth-year centerfielder Brandon Vicens. The Retrievers would hold on from there as redshirt second-year Stephen Schoch picked up his eighth save of the season.

Arel was lit up in this one, giving up seven runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. He walked two and struck out two. Bailey gave up three runs on four hits over three innings, but did not factor into the decision. He walked two and struck out three.

Baseball drops three-game series vs. UMBC

​The University of Maine baseball team played their last game against UMBC (17-20) on Sunday, April 29 at Alumni Field. The Black Bears fell to the Retrievers in Game 3 of a three-game series, 5-2.

​Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was second-year Cody Laweryson, who appeared in 20 games last season, going 4-2 in six decisions. Starting on the mound for the Retrievers was fourth-year Matt Chanin, who has played in five games this season.

​​The Retrievers got on the board in the fifth inning when Bright flew out to center, scoring Campbell. Then, redshirt third-year Zach Dethomasis made it 3-0 when he made a bunt to keep UMBC in the lead. The Black Bears then made a pitching change, putting in fourth-year Jonah Normandeau to relieve Laweryson.
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​UMBC increased their lead to five when they made a fielder’s choice and a sac fly. The Black Bears got on the board in the top of the ninth when Bec grounded out the third, scoring Pena. Then, redshirt third-year Caleb Kerbs singled to right field, which plated Casals to make it 5-2. But it wouldn’t be enough, as the Retrievers took Game 3.

​The Black Bears return to the field Wednesday, May 2 when they travel to Amherst, Massachusetts to take on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen for some non-conference play. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Retrievers return to the field Wednesday, May 2 when they travel to Newark, Delaware to take on the University of Delaware. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

The University of Maine softball team (16-16) hosted their home opener against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (11-19) on Wednesday, April 11. Unfortunately, the Black Bears fell to the River Hawks 1-0 in extra innings in game one of the doubleheader. UMass is currently sitting in first in America East Conference play, while the Black Bears are sitting in second.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was fourth-year Annie Kennedy, who has a league-low 1.66 ERA over 71.2 innings. Starting in the circle for the River Hawks was first-year Lovina Capria, who has been their leader with a 2.54 ERA and who is also the America East leader in both strikeouts and wins.

It remained scoreless for the majority of the game, however, in the top of the fifth inning, third-year Sydney Barker hit a double. The Black Bear defense stood strong to keep the score tied 0-0.

In the top of the sixth inning, the River Hawks loaded the bases, but third-year Alyssa Derrick made an easy play to fourth-year first baseman Kristen Niland for the final out to keep the game scoreless.

The game was forced to go to extra innings, which resulted in a double by Barker, who then came around to score the game-winning run to end the game 1-0. Capria finished the game with six strikeouts in the one-hitter.

Softball splits series with UMass-Lowell

The University of Maine softball team played the second game of their doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell on Wednesday, April 11. The Black Bears took game 2 of the doubleheader by a score of 3-0.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was first-year Kyleigh O’Donnell, who struck out a career-high 12 hitters in game 2 of the double header, giving her the win.

Starting in the circle for the River Hawks was third-year Kaysee Talcik, who has started 37 of 48 games pitched in her career thus far.

It took all the way until the bottom of the sixth inning for the scoring to begin, with third-year Maddie Decker hitting a line-drive sacrifice to right field to score second-year Emily Gilmore.

The scoring continued for the Black Bears when fourth-year Erika Leonard reached third on a fielder’s choice, resulting in fourth year Rachel Carlson scoring to give Maine the 2-0 lead.

Maine kept the momentum coming in the bottom of the sixth inning when Derrick played out a nice bunt down the first base line to score third-year Laurine German to increase the lead to three. That would do it as the Black Bears went on to win 3-0.

“Today was a good day as a team to gauge what we need to work on and what we are doing well. Our pitchers did phenomenal. We had strong defence and our hitting will come around. I think we did a great job competing and staying in both games. It was a tough loss in the first game but a great way to come back and string some hits together in the second game. It was an all around team effort today,” fourth-year second baseman Sarah Coyne said.

“Our first game seemed to be a little unusual for us having one or two hits but I think we used that and did a great job making things happen the best we could late in the second game. Manufacturing runs was crucial for our success in that second game,” Carlson said.

University of Maine Head Coach Mike Coutts also had some things to say after the game, pleased with his team’s effort.

“It was good to get the split especially after losing the first game. I thought Annie [Kennedy] and Kyleigh [O”Donnell] pitched fantastic and we played really good defense today. We managed to push across three runs in the sixth by executing small ball, which is what you need to do when you struggle getting hits,” Coutts said.

Maine sweeps doubleheader against UMBC

The University of Maine softball team (16-16) hosted a two-game series against the University of Maryland Baltimore County (8-25) on Saturday, April 14. The Black Bears are 26-15 against the Retrievers and last season Maine defeated them in a two-game series at UMBC. In game one of the doubleheader, the Black Bears defeated the Retrievers 3-0.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was Kennedy, who leads America East with a 1.58 ERA. Kennedy has only given up 10 walks in 72.2 innings. Starting in the circle for the Retrievers was fourth-year Kim Puccio, who leads the team at 7-14 with a 3.96.ERA and 55 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Niland hit a deep double to give the Black Bears a runner on third with one out, however, nothing would come of it. Carlson then hit a triple into left field, setting up German.

German then made an infield hit to score Carlson to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Derrick doubled to right center, scoring German and Leonard, making it 3-0.

In the top of the seventh Maine made a pitching change, putting fourth-year Molly Flowers in for Kennedy. The Black Bears would go on to win game one 3-0.

“Our hitting was really good and it was nice to have our bats swinging and getting the result we needed and deserved,” Flowers said.

Softball takes game two against UMBC

The University Maine softball team played their second game of a three-game series against UMBC on Saturday, April 14. The Black Bears came out on top again, defeating the Retrievers 5-3.

Starting in the circle in game two for the Black Bears was O’Donnell, who is 4-6 this season, with a 4.05 ERA. Starting in the circle for the Retrievers was first-year Brianna Baker, who is 0-1 with a 7.14 ERA in 33.1 innings this season.

In the top of the second, Maine got on the board first when German scored off of a hit from Leonard. In the bottom of the second, Niland made it 2-0 off of a hit from Carlson.

The Retrievers got on the board in the top of the fourth when fourth-year Tori Alexander scored off an error, making it 2-1.

In the top of the fifth, Kennedy came into the game to replace O’Donnell with two outs remaining in the inning. The Retrievers tied it at two when third-year Shayna Rider scored off of a hit singled to right field by fourth-year Haley DeLaney.

The Black Bears regained the lead when first-year Shanna Scribner scored to make it 3-2. Maine increased the lead to two when first-year Maddie Kimble scored off of a single by Carlson. Carlson made it 5-2 when she scored off of a single by Leonard.

The Retrievers made it 5-3 when second-year Maddie Daigneau scored in top of seventh. That would be the last of the scoring as the Black Bears went onto win it 5-3.

“It was good to have everyone’s bats come alive today. We held it down solidly all around, all of our pitchers did a great job as always,” German said.

The game scheduled for Sunday, April 15 was canceled due to weather.

The Black Bears return to the field Wednesday, April 18 when they travel to the University of Rhode Island for two non-conference games. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The Retrievers return to the field Saturday, April 21 when they host the University at Albany for a doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The University of Maine baseball team (10-23) traveled to New Jersey for some non-conference play against Sacred Heart University (9-18) and Monmouth University (12-19) on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14. In game one, the Black Bears played against the Pioneers from Sacred Heart University. The Black Bears came back and fought hard, but it wouldn’t be enough as they fell 9-8. Maine entered the weekend with a record of 3-2 against the Pioneers.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was fourth-year Zach Winn, who is 1-0 this season. Getting the nod for the Pioneers was fourth-year James Taubl, who made the Northeast Conference (NEC) All-Tournament Team last season, while leading the team with five wins.

In the first inning, third-year Danny Casals hit a homer to the left field, making it 1-0. That was Casal’s team-leading fifth home run of the season. However, Sacred Heart responded when second-year Elijah Brown tied the game up after a walk.

Then, the Pioneers increased the lead to two when redshirt second-year Jake Frasca scored off another walk, resulting in a pitching change for the Black Bears. Fourth-year Connor Johnson came in for Winn.

In the bottom of the third, Maine made another pitching change, putting second-year Trevor DeLaite in for Johnson. Sacred Heart increased their lead to four when redshirt fourth-year PJ DeFilippo scored off of a wild pitch, followed by a groundout that led to second-year Stephen Thibault crossing the plate.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers took to the board again when fourth-year Dan Schock scored to make it 6-1. The Black Bears made it 6-2 when second-year Kevin Doody stole third and scored on a Sacred Heart throwing error.

Casals then brought Maine within three when he hit his second homer of the day. Then, fourth-year Christopher Bec hit a homer of his own to make it 6-4. Doody followed that up by  driving in third-year Colin Ridley on a fielder’s choice to make it a one-run game.

In the top of the seventh, the Pioneers got a two-run home run to make it 8-5. The Black Bears would pull within one when Doody brought fourth-year Jonathan Bennett on a fielder choice in the eighth. Bennett hit a single to center to score two to make it 8-8 in the top half of the ninth. However, in the bottom half of the inning, Sacred Heart would hit a walk off single, winning the game 9-8.

Maine baseball downs Monmouth University

The University of Maine baseball team played their second game of the day on Friday, April 13 against Monmouth University. Maine defeated Monmouth 15-10. The Black Bears have an overall record of 8-4 with the Hawks, having first met in 1989.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was fourth-year John Arel, who is 3-0 this season. First-year John Martin got the nod for the Hawks.

In the first inning, the Black Bears got on the board first when Bec singled to left field, which then scored third-year Jeremy Pena. Maine increased the lead to two when Bennett singled to the right side, scoring Casals.

The Black Bears kept coming when Ridley doubled to right center, scoring Bec to make it 3-0. Bennett then increased the lead to four in the top of the first. Ridley then scored, making it 5-0 early in the game.

Monmouth put three on the board when first-year Sean McHugh hit a home run, which ended up scoring two others to make it 5-3. Bennett then hit a long ball which gave Maine a 6-3 lead.

Then, second-year Cody Pasic hit a double to drive in Ridley to increase the lead to four. Doody hit a two-out single to the right to bring Bec around to make it 8-3 in the top of the fourth. Pasic then got hit by a pitch which resulted in a walk home for Bennett making it 9-3.

Casals then hit his third homer of the day to make it 10-3 in the seventh. Bennett then singled, scoring Bec to run the score to 11-3. Monmouth made things interesting in the bottom of the inning when first-year designated hitter Ryan Steckline singled in a run. A hit batter and a walk with the bases loaded plated two more runs and brought the score to 10-6.

The Black Bears would continue the scoring in the ninth, making it 15-6 off a three-run homer from Ridley and a single by Pena with the bases loaded. The Hawks would score again, with Koniencki coming home on another bases loaded walk to make it 15-7. The Hawks would pick up three more runs on a bases-clearing double by third year center fielder Kyle Norman. Maine would hold win on to pick up the win.

Baseball falls to Monmouth University

The UMaine baseball team closed out non-conference play on Saturday, April 14, against Monmouth University.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears in the second game against the Hawks was third-year Nick Silva. Last season, Silva started 11 games and had a 4.64 ERA in 64 innings of play. Starting on the mound for the Hawks was redshirt fourth-year Ricky Dennis

In the first inning, the Black Bears scored first when Casals scored on a Monmouth fielding error. Second-year Hernen Sardinas made it 3-0 in the third when he hit a two-run homer. The Hawks would stay in the game when Norman cleared the bases with a triple to knot the score at 3-3

Monmouth then took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly from first-year third baseman Matt Graber. The Hawks increased their lead to two in the sixth inning on sloppy defense by the Black Bears. In the bottom of the eighth, Monmouth made it 7-3 after third-year catcher JD Andreessen launched a two-run homer.

Silva was touched up for four runs on six hits over five innings on the game. He walked four and struck out three with a hit batter. Dennis was sharp for the Hawks after a rough start, finishing the afternoon giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits while walking two and striking out eight over seven innings.

Up next for the Black Bears will be a home game against Saint Joseph’s College of Maine on Wednesday, April 18. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Hawks return to the field on Tuesday, April 17 when they host Rutgers University. The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

The University of Maine baseball team (8-19) continued their conference play with a doubleheader at home against the University at Albany Great Danes (9-11) on Saturday, March 31. In game one, the Black Bears came out strong and defeated the Great Danes 10-2. The Black Bears hold the series advantage over the Great Danes, 40-35. The two teams met five times last season, with the Black Bears finishing 2-3. The 2018 season also marks Maine’s 135th season of baseball, with the sport starting at UMaine during the 1881 season.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was redshirt fourth-year Zach Winn, who appeared in 16 games last season, making two starts with 14 relief appearances. Starting on the mound for the Great Danes was third-year Brendan Smith, who went 1-5 with a 4.37 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 25 walks in over 18 appearances in 2017.

In the first inning, the Great Danes took the lead off of a Maine error at first base. The Black Bears then responded off of a base-clearing double by fourth-year Jonathan Bennett to run the score to 3-1. Bennett then scored off of a single by redshirt junior Caleb Kerbs to make it 4-1. Then, second-year Kevin Doody made it 5-1 after scoring off of a single by second-year Cody Pasic.

In the top of the fourth, first-year Ryan Hernandez hit a home run to make the score 5-2. In the bottom of the fourth, second-year Hernen Sardinas hit a single, which ended up scoring third-years Jeremy Pena and Danny Casals to increase the lead to five.

In the bottom of the fifth, Albany brought in first-year Ben Brown to replace Smith on the mound. Maine also switched their pitcher and brought in fourth-year Connor Johnson.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pasic scored to make it 8-2. Pena then scored on a hit by fourth-year Brandon Vicens.

In the top of the seventh, redshirt first-year Matt Geoffrion replaced Johnson on the mound. Albany then made their final pitching change in the eighth inning, putting redshirt second-year Nick Bird into replace Brown. The game would finish with the Black Bears on top 10-2 after Doody plated Vicens with a single.

“I thought it was a really good game overall. We played like the team we knew we had all along and now it’s about building on that and getting better everyday,” Winn said.

Baseball takes game two of series against Albany

The University of Maine baseball team returned to the mound for the second game of their doubleheader against the University at Albany Great Danes (9-10) on Saturday, March 31. The Black Bears took game two with a score of 4-1.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears in the second game was fourth-year John Arel, who appeared in 21 games last season, starting 21 of them. Starting on the mound for the Great Danes was third-year Dominic Savino, who finished last season with an ERA of 2.48 with 32 strikeouts and 24 walks with over 27 appearances.

In the top of the first, Vicens put Maine on the board first when he scored two on a single. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Vicens scored again off of a Doody single, making it 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bennett scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to four. In the bottom of the 6th, the Great Danes got on the board when Hernandez hit his second homer of the game, 4-1.

With one inning remaining, the Black Bears made a couple pitching changes. Second-year right hander Cody Laweryson came in for Arel, and then they switched to Johnson to get the needed final out. With runners on second and third, Johnson came in clutch, getting the needed out. That would do it for game two, as the Black Bears went onto win it 4-1.

“It’s really good to see everything coming together and for everyone to start moving in the right direction. Anytime you can win both games of a double header, especially at home, and have a chance to sweep the series, it’s all a huge positive,” Johnson said.

Maine finishes off sweep

The University of Maine baseball team finished their three-game series against the University at Albany on Sunday, April 1 . The Black Bears swept the series, winning the last game 17-1.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was third-year Nick Silva, who started 11 games last season and was second on the team with 62 strikeouts. The starting pitcher for the Great Danes was redshirt first-year John Clayton, who made four appearances last season.

The Black Bears started the scoring in the bottom of the first when Pena scored off of a double by Casals. Then, Sardinas hit a double which scored Casals and Bec to make it 3-0. The scoring continued when Sardinas got a run of his own to increase the lead to four.

In the top of the second, the Great Danes got on the board off of a walk. In the bottom of the third, Bec hit a homer to make it 5-1. In the top of the sixth, Sardinas hit a single that scored Pena to make it 6-1. Then, third-year Collin Ridley hit a single that scored Casals to increase the lead to six.

In the top of the seventh, Casals hit a double to score Pena. The Black Bears then made a pitching change, bringing in third-year Eddie Emerson to replace Silva. The scoring would continue as Bec hit his second homer of the game to make the final score of the afternoon 17-1.

With an inning remaining, Maine made their last pitching change of the day, bringing Laweryson in to replace Emerson.

“It was very nice to play at home and get a conference sweep. We did an amazing job the whole weekend pitching, hitting and playing great defense,” Silva said, who also got the win.

The Black Bears return to Mahaney Diamond Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 when they host a three-game series against Stony Brook University. The Great Danes return to the field Tuesday, April 3 when they travel to Marist College. The game is set to start at 3 p.m.

Edited on April 4 to redact line on Coach Derba not being available for comment.

The University of Maine softball team (4-6) traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Mizuno Classic. The tournament consists of five games for the Black Bears, against Saint Francis University (SFU), Oklahoma State University and the University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday, March 2 through Sunday, March 4. The Black Bears kicked off the classic on Friday, March 2 when they played the Red Flash from Saint Francis (10-7) in game one of a doubleheader. The Black Bears fell to the Red Flash 4-1 in their opening game.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was fourth-year Molly Flowers. Last season Flowers went 6-10 with 26 appearances and 20 starts, while striking out 79 hitters in 94.1 innings.

Starting in the circle for the Red Flash was second-year Abby Trahan. Last season, Trahan was named the NEC Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NFCA All-Region Third Team. She appeared in 35 games and was ranked 60th in Division 1 in hits allowed per seven innings (5.3).

In the top of the first, Saint Francis fourth-year Sierra McKee scored the first run of the game off of a wild pitch, 1-0. Then, fourth-year Hayley Norton lined a double to center field which brought in third-years Cheyenne McKee and Kassidy Troxell, 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Black Bears made a pitching change, putting in first-year Kyleigh O’Donnell to replace Flowers.

In the top of 5th, SFU scored again when fourth-year Madison Cabell hit a home run to put the Red Flash up by four.

In the 5th inning, Maine got on the board when third-year Meghan Royle hit a solo homer to the left to make cut the lead to three. That would be the last run as SFU went on to win it 4-1.

Softball falls to Oklahoma State University

The University of Maine softball team played their second game of the day on Friday, March 2 against the Cowgirls from Oklahoma State University. After only playing five innings, the Black Bears fell to the Cowgirls 19-1.

Starting in the circle in game two for the Black Bears was Flowers. Pitching for the Cowgirls was third-year Samantha Clakley. Last season, Clakley was named to the Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference and SBC All-Tournament Team while appearing in 45 games.

In the first inning, Oklahoma State got on the board early off of a sac fly from first-year Sydney Pennington to give them the 1-0 lead. The runs kept coming when two more Cowgirls crossed home plate.

In the bottom of the second, there was a home run from second-year catcher Mackenzie Thomas, resulting in an 11-0 Cowgirls lead. Maine would get on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a solo shot to the left, 12-1.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t Maine’s day, as the Cowgirls would go onto score seven more runs, resulting in a final score of 19-1.

Softball downs SFU in day two of Mizuno Classic

The University of Maine softball team returned to Cowgirl Stadium for day two of the Mizuno Classic for a doubleheader against SFU and Oklahoma State on Saturday, March 3. In game one, the Black Bears defeated the Red Flash, 8-3.

The starting pitcher for the Black Bears in game one was fourth-year Annie Kennedy. Last season, Kennedy made 24 appearances with five starts and went 5-3 with a team-low 4.04 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

The starting pitcher for the Red Flash was second-year Adrian Smith, who last season made 22 appearances with 11 starts, with one at third base and 10 as designated player.

In the top of the fourth inning, Maine struck first when fourth-year Erika Leonard and third-year Maddie Decker both scored to give the Black Bears a two-run lead. Then fourth-year Kristen Niland scored off of an error by the Saint Francis catcher.

Saint Francis got on the board when third-year Mikayla Bower scored a run to pull them within two. However, the Black Bears answered back when fourth-year Rachel Carlson scored on a single to left.

In the fifth inning, Royle hit a homer to the left, scoring Leonard, third-year Laurine German and second-year Emily Gilmore to make the score 8-1.

Then, in the bottom of the fifth, first-year Jordan Frank hit a home run in her first career at-bat to make it 8-2. A pitching change was then made for the Black Bears, with first-year Lilly Volk coming in to replace Kennedy.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Red Flash cut the deficit to five when first-year Tayven Rousseau scored off of a hit from second-year Taylor Hoover.

That would be the last of the scoring as the Black Bears go on to win it 8-3.

The Red Flash will finish the tournament with a single game against Oklahoma State.

Softball falls to Oklahoma State

The University of Maine softball team played their second game of the day and their fourth game of the Mizuno Classic against the Cowgirls from Oklahoma State University (12-6) on Saturday, March 3. The Black Bears fell to the Cowgirls, 8-0 after five innings.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was Kyleigh O’Donnell, who received both losses on Friday versus SFU and Oklahoma State.

Starting in the circle for the Cowgirls was second-year Logan Simunek, who made 27 appearances last season, starting five games and finishing the year with a 6-3 record.

In the bottom of the first, the Cowgirls got on the board first when fourth-year Vanessa Shippy scored off of a groundout by third-year Madi Sue Montgomery. They made it 2-0 when  Pennington hit her fifth home run of the season.

Then fourth-year Jessi Haffner made it 3-0 when she launched her fourth homer of the season. In the bottom of the second, the Cowgirls made it 4-0 when fourth-year Maddi Holcomb scored off a drive by Shippy. Then, shortly after, Shippy scored again off of a single by Montgomery to make it 5-0.

In the bottom of the third, a pitching change was made for Maine, with Flowers coming in to replace Kyleigh O’Donnell. However, shortly after, Haffner hit her second home run and made it 6-0.

Fourth-year Randee O’Donnell made it 7-0 after a hit batter forced a run in.

In the bottom of the fifth, Shippy scored off of a single by Pennington to make it 8-0 and that would be the final score.

Black Bears fall Mavericks

The University of Maine softball team played their final game of the Mizuno Classic against the University of Nebraska at Omaha (9-11) on Sunday, March 4. Unfortunately, the Black Bears fell to Nebraska Omaha 4-2, leaving the Classic with two wins and three losses.

Starting in the circle for the Black Bears was Kennedy, who was 2-0 going into the game after four innings with four hits and letting up one run on Saturday. Starting in the circle for Omaha was first-year Aubrey Hacke.

In the first inning, third-year Natalie Mostek scored the first run of the day off of a double by second-year Emily Klosterman. Then, Klosterman scored to make it 2-0 Omaha.

Then Decker put the Black Bears on the board when she hit a home run to make it 2-1. However, fourth-year Kelly Pattison hit a home run of her own to give Omaha a two-run lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Omaha third-year Demi Dobbs hit a home run to make it 4-1. Then, in the top of the 6th, German scored to decrease the lead to two.

That would be it for the scoring as Nebraska Omaha went on to win it 4-2.

Maine will begin a stretch of 13 games in eight days on Friday, March 9, when they take on Loyola University Chicago at 2 p.m., then Quinnipiac University at 4:30 pm. Both games, as well as the other 11, will be played in Tampa, Florida.

The No. 10 University of Maine women’s hockey team (19-14-5) traveled to Boston, MA to play against the Huskies from Northeastern University (18-16-3) in the Women’s Hockey East Semifinals on Saturday, March  3. Unfortunately, Maine’s season came to an end as they fell to the Huskies 2-1. Maine made history Feb. 23 when they defeated Boston University in the quarterfinals, which was their first playoff win in program history.  This was also Maine’s first appearance in the semifinals since 2006. For the Huskies, this was their eighth straight season competing in the conference semifinals

Starting in between the pipes for the Black Bears was second-year Carly Jackson, who became the first Black Bear goalie to finish the regular season with the lowest goals against average in Hockey East (1.88).

Starting in between the pipes for the Huskies was first-year Aerin Frankel, who was named Hockey East’s Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week, after making 44 saves on 47 shots against the University of New Hampshire.

Early in the first period, Maine got on the board first when first-year Daria Tereshkina scored off an assist by second-years Tereza Vanisova and Brittany Colton, 1-0.

Towards the end of the period, the Black Bears went on the power play after a Northeastern penalty for goalie interference. After two minutes on the man advantage, the Black Bears couldn’t convert.

The Huskies equalized off of a goal by first-year Veronika Pettey with less than a minute left in the period. After 20 minutes of play, Northeastern led Maine in shots on goal, 6-5 and in face-offs won, 10-9.

In the second period, the Huskies went on the power play after a Maine tripping penalty, however, they couldn’t capitalize on the two-minute advantage.

Then, the Black Bears went on the power play after a Huskies high sticking penalty. However, Maine could not capitalize on their opportunities, keeping the score tied at one.

After 40 minutes of play, the Huskies continued to lead the Black Bears in shots on goal, 21-10 but both teams were tied in faceoffs won, deadlocked at 19.

The Huskies took the lead when second-year Matti Hartman scored her eighth goal of the season off of assists by fourth-years McKenna Bran and Denisa Krizova. That would be the last of the scoring as Northeastern went onto win 2-1.

Recently named Hockey East Coach of the Year, Richard Reichenbach will have some decisions to make for next season when it comes to replacing the five seniors that will be graduating, most notably fourth-year Brooke Stacey. With how young his team is, and now having them gained playoff experience, this should not be too much of a challenge.

Northeastern captured their first Hockey East title with a 2-1 win over the University of Connecticut. They had previously won three Eastern College Athletic Conference titles.

The University of Maine baseball team (2-6) traveled to Emerson, Georgia to take on the Bobcats from Ohio University (4-4) in a four game series from Feb. 23-25. This was the first time ever that these teams have faced off against one another. The Black Bears came into this series 12-16-1 against current Mid-American Conference schools. In Game 1 of the series, the Black Bears downed the Bobcats 5-1.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears in Game 1 was fourth-year Justin Courtney. Last season, Courtney made a team-high 15 starts, going 4-5 in nine games. He had the team-best ERA of 3.92, while striking out a team-high 67 batters.

Starting on the mound for the Bobcats was redshirt fourth-year Gerry Salisbury. Last season, he was a member of the MAC tournament championship team and made 17 appearances on the mound for Ohio.

\In the first inning, the Black Bears came out hot when third-year Jeremy Pena hit a home run off the first pitch of the game to give Maine the early lead. Then third-year Danny Casals hit a three-run homer to put them up by four early in the game.

In the top of the third, second-year Hernen Sardinas hit his first home run of the game, increasing the lead to five. In the bottom of the third, the Bobcats got on the board when second-year Tanner Piechnick led off with a double, followed by a single from third-year Devon Garcia. Redshirt fourth-year Nick Bradeson then drove in a run to make it 5-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Bobcats changed pitchers and put in redshirt third-year Nick Kamrada, who induced a grounder that resulted in a double play to end the inning.

In the top of of the sixth, the bases were loaded in favor of Maine, with one out. Ohio then made another pitching change, putting first-year Brett Manis in for his college debut.

After nine innings, the Black Bears held on to win 5-1.

Baseball splits doubleheader

The University of Maine baseball team returned to the field on Saturday, Feb. 24 for a doubleheader against the Ohio University Bobcats (3-2). In the previous game on Friday, the Black Bears took an early lead and held on to win by a score of 5-1.

In the second game of the series and the first game of the doubleheader, starting on the mound for the Black Bears was third-year Nick Silva. Last season, Silva made 15 appearances, going 2-2 with a 4.64 ERA in 64 innings pitched. He struck out 62 on the season.

Starting on the mound for the Bobcats was redshirt fourth-year Michael Klein. Last season, Klein was a member of the MAC tournament championship team, while making 14 starts and going 5-3 with a 3.48 ERA.

In the first inning, Ohio took an early lead when Piechnick made a double to the left, which resulted in a run. Then Pena mishandled the ball, leading to two more runs to increase the lead to three.

In the bottom of the first, the Black Bears got on the board off a SAC fly, 3-1 Bobcats. The Black Bears tied it up in the bottom of the second off an RBI single to make the score 3-2.

In the top of the third, second-year Trevor Hafner doubled home the fourth run, making it 4-2. Then, first-year Treyben Funderburg hit an infield single, which resulted in another run, 5-2.

Fourth-year Rudy Rott then hit a 367 foot home run to increase the lead to 6-3. In the top of the eighth, redshirt third-year Caleb Kerbs doubled to left to make it a one-run game.

The game would end 7-4 in favor of the Bobcats, tying the series at 1-1.

Black Bears down Ohio Bobcats 2-1 in third game of series

In Game 2 of the doubleheader against Ohio University, the Black Bears were looking to take a lead in the series. The Black Bears downed the Bobcats 2-1.

The starting pitcher in Game 2 for the Black Bears was second-year Trevor Delaite, who made eight appearances last season with four starts. He had a 5.96 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched and struck out 21 batters.

The starting pitcher for the Bobcats was fourth-year Butch Baird. Last season, Baird was a member of the MAC tournament championship team, while making 16 appearances with 12 starts.

In the second inning, Sardinas crushed a ball 330 feet to give Maine the early lead. The score would remain the same until the bottom of the fifth inning when second-year Kevin Doody hit an RBI groundout to give the Black Bears a two-run lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Bobcats made a pitching change, putting in third-year Kenny Ogg. Ogg was also a member of the MAC tournament championship team and he made a career-high 28 appearances, which ranked second on the team.

In the ninth inning, the Bobcats got on the board but it was too late as the Black Bears took the second game of the doubleheader.

Black Bears fall in series finale

The University of Maine men’s baseball team took to the field on Sunday, Feb. 25 for their last game of the series against the Ohio University Bobcats. The Black Bears fell to the Bobcats 6-2 to finish the series 2 and 2.

Starting on the mound for the Black Bears was redshirt third-year Chris Murphy. Last season, Murphy played in seven games, making five starts, while pitching 15.2 innings with an ERA of 8.04. Starting on the mound for the Bobcats was redshirt first-year Cole Shinsky.

In the first inning, the Black Bears scored first on an RBI groundout, then two runners were walked and a balk was issued, resulting in a pitching change for the Bobcats. Second-year Derek Carr entered the game with two outs.

In the second inning, the Bobcats tied it up on an infield base hit by Garcia. Then, the Black Bears took the lead off a sacrifice fly by Pena.

Then, in the top of the fourth, Ohio tied it up again when Bourn made a hit to center field. Rott then grounded a ball which resulted in a run to take the lead, 3-2.

In the top of the eighth, redshirt fourth-year Nick Bredeson hit a home run that scored two to increase the lead to three. Bredeson then scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead again to four. Unfortunately, that would be the end of the game and the Black Bears lost 6-2.

The Black Bears return to the diamond March 2-4 as they travel to Coral Gables, Florida to take on the University of Miami Hurricanes. The Bobcats get back to work March 2-4 as they travel to Cartersville, Georgia to take on the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The University of Maine men’s basketball team (6-21) traveled to Durham, New Hampshire to play rival Wildcats from the University of New Hampshire (10-15) on Thursday, Feb. 8. The Black Bears fell to the Wildcats 71-56. The last time these two teams met was Jan. 24, when the Black Bears defeated the Wildcats in a final minute showdown, 69-68. UNH is currently sitting fifth in the America East Standings, while Maine is sitting in eighth.

In the first half, the Wildcats took an early 6-0 lead. The Black Bears got on the board when fourth-year Aaron Calixte made two layups and then a jump shot to cut the deficit to one. UNH increased their lead to two when fourth-year Tanner Leissner converted on a layup. Graduate student Jacoby Armstrong increased their lead when he hit a jumper, but Maine then responded with a 3-pointer from second-year Danny Evans, pulling within two, 11-9.

Third-year Dusan Majstorovic then hit a 3-pointer to give Maine a one-point lead. The game remained close when redshirt second-year Isaiah White converted on a layup to keep Maine’s lead at one. White increased Maine’s lead to two with a free throw. However, UNH first-year Josh Hopkins tied the game when he hit his first jumper of the game.

At the half, the Black Bears led the Wildcats 34-24. Calixte led in points with 12, followed by Majstorovic with 8 and second-year Andrew Fleming with 6. Maine led in field goal percentage, 41 to 23. Maine also led in steals, 3-2 and in blocks, 4-0.

In the second half, UNH decreased Maine’s lead to one with 13:05 remaining in the game. Then the Wildcats took the lead when first-year Evan Horn converted on a layup. Maine answered when Fleming hit a jumper to retake the lead. UNH retook the lead with 11:17 to go in the game.

UNH continued to increase their lead to four with 7:19 remaining. With .37 seconds left, New Hampshire scored their final buckets of the game to end the scoring. Calixte finished the game with 16 points, Fleming wrapped up the night with 12, and White and Majstorovic finished with 8 points each. Maine led in field goal percentage, 38-36 and in blocks, 6-1. UNH dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Black Bears 47-32.

Calixte would become the 30th player in Black Bear history to score 1,000 points, and the first since Gerald McLemore reached the milestone in 2011.

Men’s basketball falls to Stony Brook University

The University of Maine men’s basketball team hosted the Seawolves from Stony Brook University (10-16) on Sunday, Feb. 11. Unfortunately, the Black Bears fell to the Seawolves, 64-61. Stony Brook has the better of the Black Bears, leading the all-time series 23-14, with 15 straight wins. Stony Brook is currently sitting sixth in the America East Standings. Before the game, Calixte was honored for his achievement of reaching 1,000 career points.

Starting for the Black Bears were Calixte, Fleming, third-years Celio Araujo and Ilija Stojiljkovic and White.

In the first half, fourth-year Junior Saintel started off the scoring for the Seawolves on their first possession. Redshirt second-year Akwasi Yeboah then drained a 3-pointer to put the Seawolves up by five.

Calixte then went two-for-two at the line to put the Black Bears on the scoreboard. White scored his first basket of the game after he drained a three. However, Stony Brook responded when fourth-year Tyrell Sturdivant drained a 3-pointer of his own, making the score 10-5.

First-year Elijah Olaniyi scored his first basket and Stony Brook’s third 3-pointer of the game to increase their lead to eight. White then responded with his second 3-pointer of the game.

Olaniyi scored his second three of the game with 12:15 remaining in the half. Just seconds later, Olaniyi drained another 3-pointer to increase their lead to nine.

Fourth-year Bryan Sekunda made a nice pass to fourth-year Jakub Petras for his first basket of the game.

Then, fourth-year Ilker Er scored his first basket of the game after he finished a pass from White. Er then drained his first three-pointer of the game to decrease the lead to four.

Sekunda finished a three-pointer to make the score 30-21 with 4:05 remaining in the first half. Calixte then fed second-year Danny Evans for his first basket of the game.

Yeboah drained a three-pointer for his 6th point of the game, then Calixte came down the court and hit one of his own, 33-30. At the half, Calixte led the Black Bears in points with 13, followed by Er with nine and White with six.

In the second half, Calixte found White driving into the key for his eighth point of the game. Calixte then drove down for a lay-up, getting the basket and drawing a foul to put Maine in the lead for the first time in the game.

Evans then drained his first 3-pointer of the game, increasing the lead to four. Calixte then capitalized on a Stony Brook turnover, resulting in an easy layup.

Sekunda then made a sneaky bounce pass in the key to Olaniyi to tie the game up at 47 with 10:05 remaining in the game.

Fourth-year UC Iroegbu drained a three-pointer but the Black Bears quickly responded when Araujo converted on a layup.

Fleming found Er in the key to take back the lead with 5:20 remaining in the game. Calixte then found a cutting Araujo to maintain the lead. White then found Fleming for a layup to increase the lead to four.

Iroegbu then flew through the key and finished a layup to make it a one point game with 1:40 remaining. Yeboah converted on a layup shortly after to give the Seawolves a one point lead with 44 seconds remaining. Fleming then made a bucket with 0:01 remaining on the clock but it wouldn’t be enough to win the game.

Stony Brook hung onto the lead, finishing the game 64-61. Calixte finished the game with 19 points, followed by White with 14 and Er with 11.

“I think that the team played well and showed a lot of mental toughness. There were many points during the game where Stony Brook went on runs. We could have easily backed down but we really held together and executed well. We just didn’t get the shots to fall, definitely a great effort from the team,” Fleming said.

Maine head coach, Bob Walsh, was unavailable for comment.

The Black Bears return to the court Thursday, Feb. 15 when they travel to West Hartford, Connecticut, to take on the Hawks from the University of Hartford. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Seawolves return to the court Thursday, Feb. 15 when they travel to Vestal, New York, to take on the Bearcats from Binghamton University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The University of Maine men’s hockey team (15-11-4) traveled to Providence, Rhode Island to take on the Friars from Providence College (18-9-4) on Friday, Feb. 9. In a tight game, the Black Bears fell to the Friars 3-2. Both teams have played against one another 122 times prior to this game, with the Black Bears holding the advantage 64-51-7. The last time these two teams faced off was at the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Providence taking the game 3-0.

Starting in net for the Black Bears was first-year Jeremy Swayman, who is tied for second in the country among rookies with 12 wins. His .926 save percentage is sixth in the nation, first in the conference and second nationally among rookie goalies.

Starting in the net for the Friars was third-year Hayden Hawkey, who has started all 30 games this season, posting a 2.24 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and three shutouts.

In the first period, the Friars took to the scoreboard first when second-year Vimal Sukumaran scored his first goal of the season, with an assist from third-year Erik Foley and second-year Brandon Duhaime.

The Black Bears responded minutes later when second-year Chase Pearson scored off assists from first-year Eduards Tralmaks and second-year Mitchell Fossier, knotting things at 1-1.

The Friars took the lead two minutes and 26 seconds after Pearson’s goal when second-year Jacob Bryson scored off assists from Sukumaran and second-year Josh Wilkins. After 20 minutes, Providence had a one-goal lead. The Friars also led in shots on goal, 13-9.

In the second period, the Black Bears went on the power play after a tripping call. However, it shortly became a 4-on-4 when Maine took a hooking call.

The Black Bears tied the game when second-year Ryan Smith finished a pass from second-year Peter Housakos to make it 2-2. After 40 minutes of play, the Black Bears led the Friars in shots, 12-11.

In the third period there was no scoring, so the game had to go to overtime. After 60 minutes of play, the Friars led in shots on goal, 35-32.

In overtime, the Friars took the win when third-year Scott Conway scored on the power play. Providence finished the game leading Maine in shots on goal, 42-33. Swayman finished the night with 39 saves, while Hawkey stopped 31.

The Black Bears return to the ice Wednesday, Feb. 14 when they travel to Durham, New Hampshire to take on the Wildcats from the University of New Hampshire. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Friars return to the ice Friday, Feb. 16 when they host the River Hawks from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

The University of Maine men’s basketball team (5-19) hosted the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks (9-13) on Wednesday, Jan. 31. The Black Bears fell to the River Hawks 88-64.  The River Hawks had the overall edge over the Black Bears, with a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, both teams split the series. The Black Bears and River Hawks are tied for eighth in the America East Standings, both with a record of 2-6.

Starting for the Black Bears were second-year Andrew Fleming, third-year Iliya Stojiljkovic, first-year Celio Araujo, redshirt second-year Isaiah White and fourth-year Aaron Calixte.

In the first half, Fleming got the first basket of the game off of a jump shot. The River Hawks quickly answered back when redshirt fourth-year Jahad Thomas nailed a jumper. Fleming used his size and strength to make a nice lay-up to tie the score at 4.

Fleming then went to the line off of a River Hawks foul, making both free throws to put the Black Bears ahead by two. Redshirt third-year Josh Gantz would off of a rebound before hitting a 3-pointer to make the score 11-6.

For the second time in the half, Fleming was sent to the line and again, made both free throws to cut the deficit to three. The River Hawks quickly responded when second-year Rinardo Perry hit his first 3-pointer of the game to increase the lead to six.

Third-year Vernon Lowndes, Jr. hit a jumper but the River Hawks quickly responded with a 3-pointer from Jones. The River Hawks then made a nice pass in the key to first-year Obadiah Noel who finished it off no problem to make the score 28-16.

Fourth-year Matt Harris hit one from beyond the arc, and followed that with a free throw to increase their lead. White was then sent to the line and hit both of his free throws.

White struck again after he made a nice jumper for his fifth point of the half, and Fleming finished off a nice passing play to make the score 32-23. Harris then hit a three for the River Hawks, but Calixte immediately answered with one of his own.

With 2:18 remaining in the half, Jones hit a 3-pointer to increase their lead to 12. At the half, the River Hawks led 49-35. Fleming led Maine in points with 10, followed by Calixte and White with nine apiece. The River Hawks led in 3-pointers, making six out of 12 taken to Maine’s one out of 10.

In the second half, Fleming opened up the scoring with a lay-up to get the Black Bears rolling. UMass quickly answered with a lay-up from Gantz. Harris hit another 3-pointer to put them up by 18.

The River Hawks started to roll when Perry hit a nice lay-up to increase their lead to 23. Calixte then went to the line after a UMass foul and hit both. Gantz hit another 3-pointer to make the score 70-45, but Maine quickly answered with a rebound by Fleming.

Fleming then made a nice pass to second-year Danny Evans for an easy basket, bringing the score to 76-49. Evans made his first 3-pointer of the night off of a pass from Calixte.

Thomas made some quick moves and drove to the basket for his 19th point of the night. Calixte then scored his 18th point of the night off of a nice layup to make the score 80-54 with 6:16 remaining in the game.

Calixte then scored his 20th point of the night off of an easy lay-up to cut the deficit 22 with 3:48 left in the game. A nice feed from Evans to first-year Miks Antoms resulted in two free throws, with Antoms converting on one.

Calixte led the Black Bears in points with 20, followed by Fleming with 12 and White with 9.

“When we have five guys in double digits, we barely lose. The numbers show that when we’re at our best is when everyone contributes. Defensively, we weren’t as mismatched, we were the same size. We were allowed to guard the perimeter tonight,” UMass Head Coach Pat Duquette said.

Men’s basketball downs Binghamton University in overtime thriller

The University of Maine men’s basketball team hosted the University of Binghamton Bearcats (10-15) on Saturday, Feb. 3 for the America East Spread Respect Game. This slogan was created to help further the awareness of equality, respect and safety for every athlete. The Black Bears defeated the Bearcats in a nail-biter 81-79.

The Black Bears lead the series against the Bearcats 18-17, winning two times in a row. They last faced off on Jan. 6, when Maine came back from being down by nine points to come back and win 76-73.  

Maine ran their starting lineup of Fleming, Stojiljkovic, Araujo, White and Calixte back out. This same lineup scored 41 of the team’s 64 points in their previous game.

“Our guys were tough and composed and that’s just what you need to win tight games. We never seem to make it easy on ourselves but the toughness and the composure that we showed down the stretch was really crucial. Our mentality was way better today than on Wednesday, our approach was awful. We didn’t seem to have a lot of emotional energy,” UMaine Head Coach Bob Walsh said.

In the first half, redshirt first-year Tyler Stewart scored the first basket of the afternoon off of a baseline jumper. Then, third-year Thomas Bruce’s layup was good to make it 4-0 Bearcats early in the half.

White then hit his first 3-pointer of the day to pull Maine within one. Stewart used the space he was given to hit a perfect 3-pointer, but Calixte responded by hitting a three of his own and pulling Maine to within one again.

Third-year Timmy Rose scored his first basket of the game off of a layup to increase Binghamton’s lead to five with 8:35 to go in the half. Evans then stripped the ball from the Bearcats and made a nice feed to third-year Dusan Majstorovic.

White drained one from beyond the arc, followed by a jumper by Fleming to tie the game up at 13. White then stole the ball and ran down the court for a nice dunk finish to give Maine the lead. However, Bruce evened the score up again after a rebound finish.

Fleming then used his strength to convert in the key, giving the Black Bears a 17-15 lead. After Bruce tied the game with a dunk, third-year Dennis Ashley hit his first 3-pointer of the afternoon to put Maine back up by three.

Thomas then went two for two at the free-throw line. White put the Black Bears back up when he converted on a layup for his 10th point of the game. Bruce then slammed home an easy dunk to make it a one point game with 4:11 remaining.

Third-year Everson Davis hit his first 3-pointer of the game to put the Bearcats up by four. White made it a one point game when he converted on a three of his own. Fleming then found Evans cutting in the key for a nice basket to give Maine the one point lead.

White then hit a 3-point jumper, however, third-year J.C. Show scored his first basket of the game to make it 30-28. At the half, White led Maine in points with 16, followed by Fleming with 4.

In the second half, White made a nice steal and fed the ball to a wide open Stojiljkovic for an easy basket. Fleming then hit a nice jumper for his point of the game. Show cut the deficit to two when he hit a 3-pointer.

Fleming responded with a layup off of a feed from Stojiljkovic. Fleming gave Maine their biggest lead of the game when he hit a jumper and then two-free throws. Show responded with some magic of his own when he hit another 3-pointer.

Calixte increased the lead again when he excused on a layup. Show found Bruce for an easy layup but Maine responded when Fleming scored a layup to make the score 43-37. Majstorovic hit a jumper for his fourth point of the game.

Ashley gave Maine a 10 point lead when he converted on two free-throws. Binghamton cut the lead to seven when Fard Muhammad hit his first-three of the game. White then drove the net for a layup, 51-44. Muhammed hit another 3-pointer with 8:48 remaining.

The 3-pointers went back and forth, with Maine leading by four points with 7:10 remaining in the game. Fourth-year Ilker Er drained his first 3-pointer of the game to give Maine a 5 point lead.

With 52.1 seconds left, the Bearcats tied it up at 67. Calixte converted on both free throws to give Maine the two-point lead. After regulation, the game needed overtime.

Calixte dribbled his way through the key to put Maine up by four with 1:42 left in extra time. Muhammed hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three with 22.5 left. The Black Bears hung onto the win.

“We played well as a team. Today was a testament to our core values as a team- playing tough and playing together for the entire game,” White, who was the player of the game with 23 points, said.

The Black Bears return to the court Thursday, Feb. 8 when they travel to Durham, New Hampshire to take on the Wildcats from the University of New Hampshire. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Bearcats take the court Thursday, Feb. 8, when they host the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.