ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine baseball team saw its 2018 season come to an end on Friday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond. After fighting off elimination in the previous two games, the No. 5 seed Black Bears dropped their second game of the America East Championship, 11-4, to No. 4 seed Stony Brook.
Hernen Sardinas went 4-for-5 with two runs, including his seventh home run of the season, to lead the Black Bears.
Jonathan Bennett added a pair of hits with a run while
Kevin Doody went 2-for-4 as the Black Bears tallied 12 hits in the season finale.
The Seawolves pounded out seven runs in the bottom of the second inning. In addition to a pair of RBI singles and an RBI groundout, Stony Brook got a bases clearing triple form Chris Hamilton.
Maine tried to chip away immediately, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the third thanks to a drawn walk by
Cody Pasic and back-to-back singles to center from
Jeremy Pena and Sardinas.
Danny Casals hit a bases loaded, ground rule double to deep left center to drive in a pair. Bennett then found a hole in left field to bring in Sardinas, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
But Stony Brook pounded out four more runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to take back command of the game.
Though the Black Bears weren't done scoring, with Sardinas nailing a solo over the right field fence in the seventh. An inning prior, Doody had doubled down the left field line but was stranded on the bag. The eighth saw
Brandon Vicens single, steal second and then move to third on a Doody ball to short but he was ultimately left standing 90 feet from home.
Maine used six pitchers, starting with starter
Trevor DeLaite. The Black Bears then got an inning form
Matt Geoffrion, an inning and one third from
Connor Johnson, and a third of an inning from
Jonah Normandeau.
Ben Terwilliger threw two and one third innings of hitless work to keep Maine alive before giving way to
Zach Winn for two innings of no-hit, shutout ball.
For their performances throughout championship play, Casals and
Christopher Bec each earned a spot on the All-Championship Team.
Maine ends the season with an overall record of 20-34.
-UMaine-
