TALLAHASSE, Fla. – After allowing two runs in the first inning, the University of Maine baseball team recovered to blank the No. 6 Florida State in five consecutive frames, but the Seminoles added seven runs in the seventh inning to top the Black Bears, 9-1, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

After senior right-handed pitcher Nick Silva (0-1) left the first inning due to an injury, freshman RHP Nicholas Sinacola entered his first collegiate game by not allowing a hit in five innings pitched, striking out five and walking just two.

Jeffrey Omohundro, Joe Bramanti, Caleb Kerbs, Cody Pasic and Jake Roper all recorded hits in the contest, as bot Maine and FSU tallied five hits in the contest.

The Black Bears looked strong out of the gate in the bottom of the first, having their first two batter reach base via walks, as Kevin Doody stole second, but Maine's next three batters failed to drive them in. The Seminoles struck first in their half of the opening, inning as Elijah Cabell doubled home a two-runners that reached base on walks with a line drive off the left-center field wall.

Silva warmed up to begin the second inning, but exited the contest with an apparent injury, as the Black Bears handed the ball off to the frosh, Sinacola. The native of North Attleboro, Mass. impressed in his collegiate debut, facing the minimum three batters as the junior catcher Pasic caught a Seminole stealing, who tried to swipe second.

Maine had another opportunity in the top of the third to put some runs on the board. Omohundro doubled with two outs in the inning, as Danny Casals and Hernan Sardinas earned walks to load the bases. The Black Bears could not capitalize, as a strike out swinging ended the frame.

Sinacola continued to look sharp in his debut, retiring the side in order the bottom of third.

Roper, who hit a grand-slam in his first collegiate-hit yesterday, led Maine off with a single in the fifth inning. The Black Bears moved him to third on a sac-bunt and a groundout, but a strikeout ended the scoring opportunity.

Once again, Sinacola shut down the Seminoles in order in the fifth, as Maine looked to put up some runs on the scoreboard in their half of the inning. After a Bramanti double, Pasic recorded his first RBI of the season on a two-out single to right field to make it a 2-1 contest at Dick Houser Stadium.

FSU managed a single runner on the base paths in the sixth on a walk, but the Seminoles could not plate a run home. The Black Bears went down in order in the seventh.

Sinacola did not return to the mound in the seventh, as Sam McCarthy made his 2019 debut from the bullpen. After earning the first out, two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases. A third walk bight in a runner to make it 3-1 FSU. With two outs in the inning, back-to-back singles and a walk made it 6-1 in favor of the Seminoles. Making his third appearance in four games, Matt Geoffrion entered the contest with the bases loaded. A bases-clearing double on the first batter he faced would round out the scoring, making it 9-1 Florida State.
 
Maine came out and squared up two balls in the top of the 8^th, but they both ended up into the glove of the Seminoles' center fielder. Geoffrion came back out for the bottom of the eighth, allowing a walk and a double, but settled down to end the inning on a groundout.

Maine didn't go down without swinging, as Kerbs picked up his third hit in four games in the bottom of the ninth, but the Black Bears were unable to plate him home.

Florida State's Antonio Velez (1-0) picked up the win, after coming in the fourth-inning , pitching four frames while allowing just three hits and one run.

Maine is back in action next Friday for a three-game series against Big Ten Maryland. The opening pitch on Friday at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium is set for 4:00 p.m.

-UMaine-