University of Maine
Cornell
Baseball Beats Cornell 13-9 to Extend Winning Streak to Three Games
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
AUBURNDALE, Fla.—The University of Maine baseball team concluded its two week Florida trip with a 13-9 win over Cornell on Saturday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park. Sam Balzano (Portland, Maine) led the Maine offense as he went 4-for-5 with three runs scored.
The Black Bears end their Florida trip with a three game winning streak. Maine improves to 8-13 on the season, while Cornell falls to 2-7.
Cornell struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Spencer Scorza singled and Matt Hall drew a walk. Scorza scored when Kevin Tatum doubled. Hall scored the second run of the inning when Jacob Weston singled.
Maine scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 7-2 lead. Jake Osborne (Burlington, Ontario) began the rally with an infield single. Balzano followed with a single to left field. Shane Bussey (Boynton Beach, Fla.) also singled to load the bases. Osborne scored when Luke Morrill (South Thomaston, Maine) reached on an error. Balzano scored on a sacrifice fly by Scott Heath (Westbrook, Maine). Brett Chappell (Rock Falls, Ill.) then drew a walk to load the bases once again. Brenden Geary (South Hadley, Mass.) singled driving home Bussey. Both Morrill and Chappell scored on a single by Kevin Stypulkowski (Lake Worth, Fla.). Geary scored on a wild pitch and Stypulkowski scored the seventh run of the inning on a single by Brian Doran (Ayr, Ontario).
Maine added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Balzano and Bussey had back-to-back hits to lead off the inning. Both runners scored when Morrill singled to right field. Morrill scored the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The Big Red got a run in the top of the fifth inning. Eliot Lowell singled and scored on a Dan Morris single. Cornell tacked on five more runs in the top of the seventh inning. Scorza singled and Jamie Smith walked. Kevin Tatum drove home Scorza with a double. Trey Baur followed with a double to left scoring Smith and Tatum. Baur scored when Jacob Weston doubled to right field.
Maine answered back in the bottom of the frame with three runs. Geary singled and scored when Osborne reached on an error. Osborne scored when Bussey singled. Balzano, who had also singled, scored on a wild pitch.
Dan Morris had a two run double in the top of the ninth inning for Cornell to make it a 13-9 final.
Heath went five innings on the mound to get the win for the Black Bears. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six. He improves to 3-1 on the season. Clay Conaway (Georgetown, Del.) replaced Heath on the mound. Conaway allowed four runs on five hits over two innings. Jeff Gelinas (Saco, Maine) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Black Bears, while Chris Piteo (Middle Village, New York) went two thirds of an inning and allowed two runs on one hit. Connor Johnson (Taunton, Mass.) retired the final batter to earn his first collegiate save.
Michael Byrne went three innings on the mound for Cornell and allowed 10 runs, however just four of which were earned. He allowed 10 hits and struck out a pair. Ray Brewer replaced Byrne and went 3.2 innings. He allowed three unearned runs on seven hits. Peter Lanoo went 1.1 innings for the Big Red and did not surrender a hit, while striking out a pair.
The Black Bears return to action when they swing into America East Conference play next weekend at Hartford. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21 with first pitch scheduled for 1 PM.
