University of Maine
Lehigh
Maine Baseball Need Extra Innings to Defeat Lehigh 11-6
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
WINTER HAVEN, Fla -- The Maine Baseball team needed extra innings to defeat the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in ten innings 11-6 at Lake Myrtle Park.
With the win, the Black Bears snap a four game losing streak and improve their record to 5-12 overall. Lehigh drops to 3-10 on the season.
Chris Murphy started on the mound for the Black Bears and Cole McManimon started for Lehigh.
In the bottom of the first, Lehigh's Jacen Nalesnik scored on a wild pitch to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Maine responded in the top half of the second, Brenden Geary scored Colin Ridley on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, Danny Casals doubled scoring Caleb Kerbs. Casals was then thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple but he gave Maine the lead, 2-1.
The Black Bears added to their lead in the top of the third, Brett Chappell homered to right field increasing the Maine lead, 3-1.
Lehigh answered in the bottom of the third, Jacen Nalesnik singled to score one run and cut into Maine's lead 3-2.
Charlie Butler came on in relief for the Black Bears, Murphy went three innings giving up two hits, two earned runs and two strikeouts. Lehigh added one more in the bottom of the fourth off of an Anthony Rinaldi single to tie the game 3-3.
In the top of the fifth, with runners on first and second, Brett Chappell reached on a fielder's choice after Tyler Schwanz was thrown out at second. Jeremy Pena scored off of an errant throw to put Maine on top, 4-3.
The Mountain Hawks once again tied the game after a Connor Donovan single bringing the score to 4-4.
Maine regained the lead once again, Danny Casals hit a sacrifice fly to right field with the bases loaded to regain the lead 5-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lehigh's Connor Donovan homered to right field, a two-run home run to give Lehigh their first lead since the bottom of the first, 6-5.
The bottom of the eighth saw Eddie Emerson come in relief. He appeared in two innings not allowing a hit or run and striking out two.
Maine's final at-bat with one out, Tyler Schwanz hit a solo home run to tie the game at 6-6. The Black Bears were able to hold Lehigh scoreless in the bottom half of the inning sending the game into extra innings.
The Black Bears exploded for five runs in the top of the tenth. Brenden Geary started off the offensive explosion with an RBI single to take a 7-6 lead. Following Geary, Caleb Kerbs tripled to drive in Geary for an 8-6 advantage. Casals placed a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Kerbs and give Maine their third run of the inning for a 9-6 lead. Tyler Schwanz later singled driving in one run to increase Maine's lead, 10-6. Brett Chappell singled giving the Black Bears' their fifth run of the inning and a 11-6 advantage.
Logan Fullmer came on in the bottom of the tenth and retired the side in order. Eddie Emerson earned his first career win as a Black Bear.
Maine returns to action Friday as they play UMass at 4:00 p.m.
