ORONO, Maine – In its first home action of the season at Manahey Diamond, the University of Maine split its doubleheader with UMBC, earning a 2-1 win game one, but the Retrievers earned the split with a 4-1 victory in the night cap.
Nick Silva (2-4) went 8.1 innings in the game one victory, allowing three hits and four walks, striking out seven Retrievers.
Trevor DeLaite came in from the bullpen and struck out the final two outs of the contest for his second save of the season.
Hernen Sardinas led the Black Bears (3-22, 2-5 AE) with a .429 batting average over the course of both games, going 3-fo-7 from the plate with a home run and two runs scored.
Caleb Kerbs recorded two singles, including the go-ahead RBI in game one.
Joe Bramanti,
Danny Casals and
Kevin Doody all tallied a single hit on the day.
After Silva faced the minimum for the first of five frames in the game, Maine got on the scoreboard in its first chance, as Sardinas scored on a fielder's choice off the bat from
Colin Ridley.
Silva continued to deal, setting down the first seven batters he faced. In the third inning, the Retrievers (14-12 2-6 AE) were able to tie the game, scoring a run on a passed ball.
The pitcher's duel continued until the bottom of the seventh, as Kerbs drove a single over the head over the third baseman in left field, to score
Joe Bramanti, who reached base on an error to score the unearned run.
UMBC threatened in its half of the eighth, as the Retrievers loaded the bases on a walk, fielder's choice and intentional walk. With one out, UMBC attempted a squeeze play, but Silva was able to catch the pop-out bunt and threw the ball to Casals to get the runner out on third and end the inning.
After Maine went down in order in the ninth, Silva earned an out after a walk. DeLaite entered the contest, allowing a single, before striking out the final two batters looking to earn the save.
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Making his first start at Mahaney Diamond in 687 days,
Justin Courtney (0-2) lasted three innings, three hits, and four runs, all which came in the third frame in game two. He struck out three in his home debut.
Peter Kemble allowed just two hits and two walks in 3.1 innings in relief, while
Dillon Stimpson got the final two outs for the Black Bears.
Courtney struck out the first batter he faced, as UMBC would get a runner on base on a single. A fielder's choice and flyout to right field would end the frame with no damage.
On UMBC's first pitch of game two, Sardinas blasted a towering solo shot to right field, his third of the season, to give the Black Bears and early 1-0 advantage.
UMBC also earned a hit in the second inning, but Courtney's two strikeouts ended the half inning.
Maine went down in order in the top of the third, as Courtney got two outs before UMBC put together a rally of a triple, single, single, walk, triple to score four runs. Courtney would ground out the next batter to second to end his day on the mound.
That would wrap up the scoring in the seven-inning doubleheader, as Maine would tally hits in the third and fourth innings, but could not drive home any additional runs.
Nick Trabacchi (3-2) earned the complete game win for UMBC, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out three.
The Black Bears and Retrievers will meet again tomorrow at noon for the rubber match of the series. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard locally on 96.1 WGUY and goblackbears.com.
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