LOWELL, Mass. - After not scoring a run in the first game of the tournament, the Black Bears only needed two to clinch a victory and avoid elimination, but it would take 11 innings of action to decide the contest between the Black Bears and the Hartford Hawks.

Maine starting pitcher Justin Courtney threw 136 pitches in the contest, going 8.0 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, walking four and striking out eight. 

Maine got on the board quickly, with Christopher Bec on second base, Tyler Schwanz hit an RBI double to right-center, putting Maine up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

From that point on Courtney kept the Hawks off the board, and the score would remain 1-0 until the eighth inning. With runners in scoring position, a deep Hartford single was able to tie the game up at 1-all.

Jeff Gelinas would come in to pitch for Maine in the ninth, and though he allowed some base runners in the inning, he was able to get out of the jam. With Maine unable to tally the decisive run in the ninth, the game would go to extras.

Gelinas started off with two quick outs in the 10th, but a single and a walk would put a runner in scoring position. He would end the inning with his second strikeout of the inning, his third of the night, to retire the side. He would follow that up with a one, two, three top of the 11th, striking out the first two batters. 

In the bottom of the 11th, the leadoff batter Jeremy Pena smacked a single to left field on an 0-2 count. A sacrifice bunt by Lou Della Fera would move Pena into scoring position with only one out. After Bec was intentionally walked, Tyler Schwanz stepped up to the plate and on an 2-0 count, drove one down the left field line for a game-winning RBI single, scoring Pena from second base.

Jeff Gelinas gets his first win of the season and is now 1-3. He went 3.0 innings, allowing only one hit and no runs, while walking four, and retiring five by way of strikeout.

The Black Bears are slated to play the late game on Thursday, awaiting the results of the preceding games to find out their opponent. For schedule updates, check back with GoBlackBears.com or the Maine Baseball Twitter Account @MaineBaseball.

-UMaine-