ORONO, Maine - After taking both games in the double header on Saturday, the Black Bears looked to sweep the series with Hartford Sunday afternoon, but fell behind early and couldn't overcome what was at one point an eight-run lead, as the Black Bears fell to the Hawks 10-6 in game three.

Maine was the first to score in the contest as they tallied a run in the bottom of the first inning as a two-out rally would allow Christopher Bec to reach base on a walk, advancing to second on a Tyler Schwanz single, and scoring on a Jonathan Bennett RBI single to center field, giving Maine a 1-0 lead.

John Arel got his first start of the season for Maine and went 2.0 innings, allowing one hit, one walk, one earned run, and struck out a batter. His one earned run was given up in the top of the second inning, tying the game up at 1-all.

Nick Silva would enter the game in the top of the third, letting up a leadoff home run and an RBI single as Hartford took a 3-1 lead over Maine in the top of the third.

Hartford would go on to build up their lead through the middle innings, scoring a sacrifice RBI in the fourth, and scoring three runs in the fifth, one on a double play and a short two out rally scored two more, giving the Hawks a 7-1 lead. 

Maine would get a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Colin Ridley grounded out to second base, allowing Hernen Sardinas to score from third base, cutting the lead to 7-2.

Hartford would try to put the game away for good in the seventh inning as they tallied another three runs two RBI doubles and one RBI single, giving the Hawks a 10-2 lead.

Maine would answer back in the bottom of the eighth, starting with a solo shot over the right field wall by Hernen Sardinas, his first of the season, to give Maine their third run of the game. Another two-out rally would give Maine two more runs in the inning, as Colin Ridley would reach base after being hit by a pitch, and would advance to second on a two-out Zach Hodges left field single. Jeremy Pena would step to the plate and knock both of them home with a deep RBI double to left field, cutting Hartford's lead in half at 10-5.

After a one, two, three top of the ninth for closer Zach Winn, the Black Bears had one more chance to climb back into it. They would tally one run in the bottom of the ninth as Jonathan Bennett would single to left field and then stole second base with one out. A two-out Brandon Vicens single would advance Bennett to third, and Colin Ridley would hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Bennett to give Maine their sixth run. After a walk to Cody Pasic would load the bases, Jeremy Pena, the potential tying run, flied out to right field to end the game.

Nick Silva gets his second loss of the season and is now 1-2 on the year, he went 1.2 innings, allowing four hits, three runs, two walks, and striking out one.

The Black Bears will welcome the Manhattan College Jaspers to Mahaney Diamond for a four game series, with a double header scheduled for Friday at 3pm and another on Saturday at 1pm.

-UMaine-