CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Maine baseball team battled hard in a extra-inning thriller on Saturday night at Mark Light Field, but it would be the Miami Hurricanes that scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning for a 7-6 win.
 
Nine players registered a hit for Maine, while the Black Bears notching at least one hit in 10 of the 15 innings played. Eddie Emerson went 5.1 innings in relief for Maine, allowing just one hit while striking out 11. Jonathan Bennett finished 3-for-6 with two runs scored while Caleb Kerbs knocked in three runs on two hits.
 
Maine was down by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Bennett and Brandon Vicens earned back-to-back walks and then Kerbs doubled down the right field line to tie the game, 4-4.
 
It was then on to six exciting extra innings of baseball. The teams battled through three scoreless extra frames before trading runs in the 14th. Maine took a 5-4 lead after Jonathan Bennett singled to center, moved to second on a ground ball from Vicens and then scored on a Kerbs single to left. But a wild pitch would allow Michael Burns to score for the Hurricanes to send it to a 15th inning.

In the top of the 15th, Christopher Bec walked moved on Hernen Sardinas' single to left and then scored on a fielding error to give Maine the 6-5 lead. Unfortunately, a lead-off single from Tony Jenkins started a rally for Miami, with Jenkins scoring on a Freddy Zamora double and then Zamora scoring on an Alex Toral single to right.
 
Danny Casals started the scoring in the second. He singled to center and then moved to second when Bennett knocked the ball to center. Vicens put down a sacrifice bunt to advanced Casals and Bennett and reached himself. A batter later, and with Kevin Doody at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Casals to score. The inning would end with two runners left on base but a 1-0 Maine edge.
 
The Hurricanes responded to Maine's run in their next at-bat, as Burns walked, stole second moved on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly to center.
 
The fourth and fifth innings would go by without either team scoring and gave way to an exciting sixth. With two outs in the fourth, Doody singled to right field and then Jeremy Pena earned a base on balls to give Pasic the opportunity to drive in a run. Pasic's single to right scored Doody and made it 2-1 Maine. Then, Miami pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the inning in back-to-back at-bats for its first lead of the game a 3-2. The Hurricanes then made it 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth when Gonzalez singled to center and Burns once again crossed the plate.
 
Emerson entered the game and stranded a base runner to end the Miami threat. The junior was very strong in relief for the Black Bears, going 5.1 innings while allowing one hit and striking out 11 batters.
 
It was Emerson's shutdown pitching through the 13th inning that allowed the Black Bears to equalize in the ninth. Trevor DeLaite pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out two and Nick Silva also went 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two. Zach Winn and Cody Laweryson each registered two strikeouts. Maine pitchers sturck out a total of 19 batters, 10 looking. Miami finished with 15 hits to Maine's 13. Laweryson took the loss for Maine.
 
Maine (3-7) and Miami (4-6) will close out the three-game series tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.
 
-UMaine-