STARKVILLE, MISS. – The University of Maine baseball team continued its tough road stretch to begin the season on Friday, falling in both games of a doubleheader to No. 7 Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs earned a 9-2 win in game one and followed with a 5-1 victory in the nightcap against the Black Bears.
Danny Casals led Maine with three hits on the day including a double. The senior scored a run and also stole two bags on the day.
Joe Bramanti and
Bobby Brennan both tallied two singles and walk a piece. Bramanti registered an RBI on a sac-fly, while Brennan scored in game one against the Bulldogs.
Ryan Turenne,
Cody Pasic,
Brogan Searle-Belanger,
Colin Ridley,
Caleb Kerbs and
Hernen Sardinas all smacked a hit on the day.
In game one,
Nick Silva (0-2) pitched four solid innings against the Bulldogs, allowing just two hits and two walks . Maine looked to get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, after Casals doubled with two outs in the frame. Bramanti followed with a walk, and would steal second to put runners on second and third. However a strikeout ended the threat.
In the bottom of the fourth, a Bulldog double to lead off the inning would advance to third on a ground-out to the shortstop. The runner would tried to advance on a wild pitch, but Pasic made dove glove-first at home plate to make an out. The runner was initially called safe, but the call would be overturned after video review. The inning would end without a run, as the game remain scoreless.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bulldogs put up four runs, on four hits including a three-run home run from Jordan Westburg to take a 4-0 lead over the Black Bears.
Maine would immediately respond as Kerbs and Casals hit back-to-back singles. A fielder's choice off the bat of Bramanti would score Kerbs for Maine's first run of the game.
Silva remained on the mound for the sixth, as he got the first two Bulldogs he faced in the inning to ground-out. A double and two singles in a row would put MSU's sixth run on the scoreboard and end Silva's day.
Nicholas Sinacola entered, who allowed a single for the Bulldog's seventh run but got a fly-out to end the damage.
After Mississippi State added its eighth run in the seventh, Maine looked to cut into the deficit with a one-out double by Sardinas in the top of the eighth, but the Black Bears could not plate him home.
After another run in the eighth by the Bulldogs to bring their lead to 9-1, Bramanti led off the top of the ninth with a single to right field in hopes of starting a rally in the top half of the ninth inning. A double-play clearned the base paths, but Brennan singled, followed by a double from Pasic, which sent Brennan all the way home for Maine's second and final run of the game. The Bulldogs got the next batter to fly-out, ending the possibility of a comeback, as MSU earned the 9-2 win.
Ethan Small pitched six innings of three-hit, one-unearned run ball, while striking out 10 in his first win of the season for Mississippi State. Jared Liebelt picked up the three-inning save, his first of the season.
--
The Black Bears looked to strike early in game two, putting two runners on base in each of the first two innings, but could not cash in any runs.
Mississippi State would take advantage, putting up three runs in the bottom of the second, with two runs coming on a home run from Dustin Skelton.
Maine once again countered with a productive inning, as Casals singled with one out in the third, as he forced a balk to move to second and continued to steal third base. A deep sacrifice-fly to center field would score the lone Black Bear run of the contest.
Peter Kemble (0-3) would settle down after giving up the home run, retiring 11 Bulldogs in a row before allowing a single in the bottom of the fifth. The Bangor native would strikeout the final out in the frame to keep the game at 3-1.
Matthew Pushard came in to relieve Kemble on the mound in the sixth, who got two uots before loading the bases.
Trevor DeLaite came in, looking for the third out, as a passed ball would score a Mississippi State's fourth run of the contest. DeLaite would strikeout the final batter of the inning to limit the damage.
Ben Terwilliger entered the game for Maine on the mound in the seventh, allowing a run in his initial inning, but allowed just a single baserunner in the bottom of the eighth. The Black Bears could not tally a hit over the course of the final three innings, falling in game two by a score of 5-1 to Mississippi State.
JT Ginn (4-0) earned the win for the Bulldogs, lasting six inning, while allowing six hit, one run while striking out eight.
Maine and Mississippi State will meet for the series finale on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Dudy Noble Field.
Cody Laweryson is slated to pitch in his second game this season, making his first appearance since the opening day.
-UMaine-
