STONY BROOK, N.Y. – On Saturday, the University of Maine baseball team fell in both game of a doubleheader to Stony Brook, dropping game one by a score of 8-3, and coming up short by a mark of 5-3 in game two at Joe Nathan Field.
 
Offensively, the Black Bears (2-20, 1-3 AE) were led in the doubleheader by Hernen Sardinas and Danny Casals, who both drive in two runs a piece. Sardinas went 4-for-8 on the day, swatting a home run in game one and a double in game two. Casals jacked two home runs – one in each game, as he now has hit three home runs in four America East games this season.
 
Colin Ridley recorded a double in each game, as Jake Roper and Joe Bramanti also hit a two-bagger on the day. 
 
In game one, Nick Silva (1-4) lasted three innings, allowing four earned runs (five total), six hits, while striking out three. He did not let up a walk. Nicholas Sinacola entered the game in the bottom of the fourth, pitching three-plus innings, allowing five hits, and three earned runs, while fanning five Seawolves (12-9, 5-0 AE). Stimpson took over in the seventh, allowing just a single. Matthew Pushard entered the game in the bottom of the eighth, allowing just one base runner on an error.  
Maine went down in order in the first, as Stony Brook would score the first run of the contest on a sac-fly to left field.
 
Ridley lined an opposite field double to left to lead off the second, as Bramanti would advance him to third on a ground out to first. The Black Bears could not send him home however, as the next two Black Bears struck out.
 
The Seawolves sent two solo home runs over the left field fence in its half of the second, extending its lead to 3-0 after two innings.  An RBI triple in the third from Michael Wilson, who entered the day ranked fourth in the nation in batting average. A fielding error would score an unearned run in the third frame, extending the Stony Brook lead to 5-0.
 
After Stony Brook added their sixth run of the contest in the fifth, Sardinas and Casals both hammered home runs to left field, as Maine cut the deficit to just four runs at 6-2.
 
Sinacola rebounded to set the Seawolves down in order in the sixth. Kerbs earned a one-out single in the seventh, but a strikeout and pop out would end Maine's half inning at the plate.
 
The Seawolves loaded the bases in the seventh, as Stimpson entered the game to replace Sinacola. A two-run RBI singel followed making the contest 8-2 in favor of Stony Brook in the inning.
 
Maine loaded the bases in the eighth inning, after Sardinas singled and Kevin Doody and Joe Bramanti were both hit by pitches. Cody Pasic drew a bases loaded walk to earn an RBI and cut the deficit to 8-3. The Seawolves were able to limit the damage, striking out the next batter to strand three runners on base. Stony Brook put a runner on base after an error, as he advanced second, before being thrown out at third by Pasic after a steal attempt.
 
Jeffrey Omohundro and Doody both walked in the top of the ninth, but a fly-out ended the contest, as Stony Brook won game one by a score of 8-3.
 
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In game two,the Black Bear top of the order went down 1-2-3 to begin the game, as Stony Brook started the game strong with a solo home run to lead the contest off in the bottom of the first. An RBI single followed later in the inning, as the Seawolves led 2-0 after one and would add a third run in the second.
 
In Maine's half of the third, Jake Roper walked and ensued to steal second. With one out, Sardinas doubled home Roper to put the Black Bears on the scoreboard. The following inning, Casals blasted his second home run of the day and his third in four America East games this season.
 
After allowing three runs and five hits through two innings, Kemble settled down, retiring seven consecutive batters through the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the Seawolves would pick up a run on a solo home run, taking a 4-2 lead into the sixth.
 
Maine could not put a runner on base in its half of the sixth, as the Seawolves added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI single.
 
The Black Bears looked to start a rally in the top of the seventh, as Bramanti led the inning off strong with his fifth double of the season. He advanced to third on a fly-out, as another fly-out followed to make it two outs in the inning. Roper came up clutch with a two-out double to score Bramanti, as the Black Bears trailed 5-3 with the tying run coming up to the plate. The rally ended their however, as a ground out to second base ended game two.
 
The Black Bears and Seawolves will meet for the series finale tomorrow at noon at Joe Nathan Field. The game will be broadcasted online on AmericaEast.TV, and can be heard locally on 96.1 WGUY FM.
 
-UMaine-