HANOVER, N.H. – Holding an 8-2 lead after 4 ½ innings, the University of Maine baseball team was able to hold off a late Dartmouth rally, defeating the Big Green 8-7 on Wednesday afternoon at Red Rolfe Field.
The Black Bears (11-26, 7-7 AE) got ahead early with eight runs after 3 1/2 innings, holding two separate six run leads at 6-0 and 8-2. The Big Green chipped away at the lead by scoring two runs in third inning, one in the sixth, while putting up four runs in the eight. Dartmouth had the tying run in the bottom of the ninth on third base, but
Trevor DeLaite struck out the final batter of the game looking to preserve the win.
Danny Casals and
Ryan Turenne (3-for-4) both blasted two-run home runs in the contest, while
Joe Bramanti also posted two RBIs on the day.
Hernen Sardinas and
Caleb Kerbs also drove a run in on the day. For the second consecutive day, eight Black Bears collected at least one hit in the balanced performance from the plate.
Maine used an assortment of pitcher in the midweek affair, as
Cody Laweryson (4-3) earned his fourth victory of the season after not allowing a base runner in the first inning.
Nick Silva (1.0),
Peter Kemble (3.0)
Bobby Cliche (1.0),
Matthew Pushard (1.2)
Jacob Small (0.1) and DeLaite (1.0) all saw action on Wednesday. Only two of the seven runs the Black Bears allowed were earned runs, with both coming in the sixth inning.
The game began on time at 3:00 p.m., but after six pitches the umpire was struck with a wild pitch, as a 16-minute delay would follow before play resumed.
On just the second pitch after the break, Casals hammered two-run home run to left field to give the Black Bears an early lead.
Maine used its weekend starters in each of the first three innings, as
Cody Laweryson earned the start. He retired the side in order, while
Nick Silva gave up just a single in the second.
Bramanti would send a deep flyout to center to score another run, as an RBI single from Kerbs and a two-run blast off the bat of Turenne would lift the Black Bears to a 6-0 lead after three.
The Big Green got the bats going in the third, scoring a pair of runs on a passed ball and an RBI single.
Maine would quickly get two runs back, as
Jeffrey Omohundro would single to lead off the top of the fourth and would score on a double from Sardinas. Bramanti's second RBI came on a single up the middle to score Sardinas and lift the Black Bears to an 8-2 advantage.
Dartmouth would add a single run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 8-3.
Maine appeared to get the final out in the bottom of the eighth without any damage, but a catcher's interference extended the inning with two outs. An RBI single and a bases loaded three-RBI triple would make the contest 8-7. Small would enter the game and get the final out on a groundout to first.
Maine could not pick up an insurance run in the top of the ninth, as DeLaite entered the game, looking to pick up his fourth save of the season. After quickly retiring the first two Big Green batters, Dartmouth's Matt Feinstein would send a triple to right center to put the tying run 90 feet away.
DeLaite would fall behind 3-0 in the count, worked his way back to 3-2. On the payoff pitch, the Bangor native painted the black, as Maine escaped Hanover with an 8-7 win.
Maine returns to Mahaney Diamond and America East play on Saturday for a doubleheader against first-place Stony Brook. Both the doubleheader and Sunday's single game finale will have a noon first pitch.
-UMaine-
