WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Despite the Black Bear pitching combo of Justin Courtney and Peter Kemble allowing just three hits, the University of Maine baseball team fell to Hartford, 3-1, on a rain-soaked Fiondella Field on Sunday.
 
Justin Courtney would make his sixth appearance and his third start of the campaign, tossing six innings in the no-decision. He allowed just two hits, while walking four and striking out three.

Peter Kemble (L, 3-6) pitched the final two innings, allowing just a single. He would not allow a hit in the seventh inning, but two walks and a pair of errors would push across three unearned runs, which proved to be the difference. He gave up a single in the eighth, but would prevent a possible threat with a double play to end the frame.
 
Joe Bramanti led Maine with three hits, including an RBI single in the first inning. Danny Casals recorded a double on the day, while Cody Pasic also registered a single.
 
Maine plated a run in the first inning for the third consecutive game, as Casals began a two-out rally with a walk. Casals would then steal second base, as he is now a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts. Bramanti would bloop a single to center, as the Black Bears grabbed an early 1-0 lead.
 
Courtney would begin the game strong, allowing just three base runners on walks through the first three innings. In the second frame, Hartford would threaten with a runner on third base, but Courtney fired his first strikeout in the game with two outs to get out of the jam.
 
The Bangor native would also get Maine out of a jam in the fourth frame, after allowing his first hit of the ball game, a single to center with one out. After a fielder's choice to get the lead runner, a stolen base, balk and walk would put two Hawks in scoring position. Courtney settled down to strikeout the final batter of the inning, to hold Hartford scoreless.
 
In the top of the fifth, Maine loaded the bases on two walks and an infield single, but the Black Bears could not capitalize. Courtney would retire the side in order in the fifth and allow just one base runner in the sixth, as Maine continued to lead in the pitcher's duel.
 
Maine countered with a two-out single by Pasic and a walk by Casals in the seventh. Bramanti followed with a deep flyout to the right field warning track, as Harford would stay within one run.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, a misplayed flyball in the outfield would score two runners that reached base via a walk. The next play, another error plagued the Black Bears, as the Hawks' third run of the frame would score. Ryan Turenne would catch a Hawk stealing to end the inning.
 
Maine put the tying run on base in the eighth, as a walk by Caleb Kerbs and Turenne would be hit by a pitch would put Black Bears on first and second. Back-to-back groundouts would end the opportunity.
 
Kemble faced the minimum in the bottom of the eighth, allowing just a single, as Bramanti would catch a lineout and tag first for a double play.
 
Pasic would reach second base via an error in the outfield in the top of the ninth, but a groundout would make it two outs. Bramanti would smack his third hit of the game, but a groundout would strand runners on the corners to end the game.
 
Maine is back in action on Tuesday for one last non-conference game against Boston College. The contest against the Eagles is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. first pitch in Brighton, Mass.
 
-UMaine-