LOWELL, Massachusetts - After a full day of no action for the Black Bears due to rain, they took on the #3 seeded Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday evening in the second elimination game of the 2017 America East Championship. The Black Bears got ahead early and never looked back thanks to a strong pitching effort by Nick Silva, who pitched nearly a complete game for his second win of the season.
 

The Black Bears got on the board in the third inning with a two-RBI single to left field by Jonathan Bennett, which allowed Jeremy Pena and Christopher Bec after Pena singled and advanced to second on a Lou Della Fera sacrifice bunt, and Bec reached on a walk. After Tyler Schwanz also drew a walk, Bennett hit a blooper to left field to knock home the two runs to give Maine a 2-0 lead.

Maine would tally another run in the seventh on a throwing error allowing Bec to reach base and Pena to score from third after advancing from second on the infield hit. Maine would lead 3-0 after six and a half innings played.

Nick Silva pitched 8.2 innings, allowing only one hit through seven innings, but giving up two in the ninth. He walked six batters over the course of the night but made up for it by striking out 10, sometimes to end the inning with runners on base. After his two two-out hits in the ninth, Jeff Gelinas came in to get the final out. Gelinas, after starting with a 2-0 count, was able to work the count full, and struck out the final batter looking for his seventh save of the season.

The Black Bears will continue in the loser's bracket, facing the #1 seeded Binghamton Bearcats who were upended by Albany on Thursday afternoon. Maine and Binghamton will face off at 2:30 on Saturday, with the winner going on to play again at 6:00pm, against the loser of the 11am winner's bracket game (#4 Albany vs. #2 UMBC).

-UMaine-