Black Bears Comeback from Six-Run Deficit to Defeat First-Place Stony Brook in Rubber Match

Sunday, May 5

Orono, ME

Noon

University of Maine

13-27, 0

Stony Brook University

25-19, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Stony Brook	2	2	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	8	11	1
Maine	0	0	1	3	3	1	1	0	X	9	8	0

Black Bears Comeback from Six-Run Deficit to Defeat First-Place Stony Brook in Rubber Match

5/5/2019 4:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

ORONO, Maine – Down 6-0 after three innings, the University of Maine Baseball team came back to defeat Stony Brook, 9-8, in the rubber match against America East leader Stony Brook on Sunday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond.

Hernen Sardinas blasted two home runs on the day, one which put Maine on the scoreboard in the in the third inning and the other giving the Black Bears its first lead of the game at 8-7 in the sixth inning.

Kevin Doody also drove in three runs for the Black Bears (13-27, 9-8 AE).

Colin Ridley, Caleb Kerbs and Jeffery Omohundro also earned a RBI on the day. Seven different Black Bears earned a hit on Sunday.

The loss handed Stony Brook's first series loss of the America East season. The win also lifts the Black Bears to third-place in the America East standings.

Nicholas Sinacola got the start for Maine, working two innings on the mound, giving up four hits and five earned runs. Matt Geoffion would take over in the third, but allowed two earned runs without getting an out. Dillon Stimpson would allow just one hit in relief in the third. Peter Kemble (3-5) would pick up his third win of the campaign, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out three in four innings. Trevor DeLaite grabbed his third save of the week, pitching the final two innings, while allowing just one base runner on a hit-by-pitch.

Stony Brook's second batter of the game, Chris Hamilton would hit a solo home run to right center to give the Seawolves (25-19, 14-7 AE) an early 1-0 lead. An RBI double would send home Stony Brook's second run, as the Seawolves would score two runs in each of the first three innings.

With two outs in the third, Sardinas would blast a solo shot to right to put Maine on the scoreboard.

Ching Ching, Bling Bling.

Cut the Chatter.@herndawg_13 blasts a solo home run to right for Maine's first run of the game!#BlackBearNation | #AEBASE pic.twitter.com/CmnQn4kqrK
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) May 5, 2019

Maine got the bats going in the fourth frame, as Danny Casals would single to right center. A Joe Bramanti double would put Black Bears on second and third. Ridley would send a hard-hit ground ball up the middle to score Casals. Still with zero outs, Kerbs would draw a walk to load the bases. Stony Brook would put in a new pitcher, who would walk Doody on four-consecutive pitches to bring home a run on the bases-loaded walk. Omohundro would pick up an RBI on Maine's third run of the frame on a groundout to short.

Stony Brook would notch an RBI double in the top of the fifth to take a 7-4 lead.

Maine got back to work in its half at the plate in the fifth, with Casals being hit by a pitch and Cody Pasic drawing a walk. Both Black Bears would advance a bag on a groundout, as Ridley would earn a walk to load the bases. Kerbs, the next batter would be hit by a pitch to make it a 7-5 contest. After a strikeout, Doody would come up clutch with a two-RBI single up the middle to tie the game up at 7-7.

Kemble would retire Stony Brook in order in the sixth frame. Sardinas would lead off the bottom of the sixth, sending a homer to right field as Maine would take an 8-7 lead.

.@herndawg_13's second home run of the game gave the Black Bears its first lead after trailing 6-0 after three innings.

Gotta love the @shanemcmahon shuffle on #WWE Day 👀#FillTheSteins | #BlackBearNation | #AEBASE pic.twitter.com/HqVTM41Yqw
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) May 5, 2019

The lead wouldn't last long, as the Seawolves would hit a sacrifice-fly to deep center to knot things up at 8-8 after seven.

Ryan Turenne led the Maine half of the seventh with a single. On a sac-bunt attempt by Doody, the Stony Brook pitcher would botch the throw , as Doody reached safely. Omohundro would also attempt a sac-bunt in the next at-bat, but would reach base on a fielder's choice, as all Black Bears were all safe on the play. A fielder's choice off the bat of Sardinas on the next play by Stony Brook would get the first out of the inning, but Turenne would score, as Maine took a 9-8 lead. A 4-3 double play would end the inning with just the one run scored.

DeLaite entered the game in the eighth, earning a flyout to center, a ground out to second base, on a tremendous play by Kerbs and a strikeout.

Maine could not put a baserunner on in the eight, as DeLaite looked to earn his third save of the week and fifth of the season.

After hitting the first batter he faced, DeLaite settled down to earn a groundout on a sac-bunt, a strikeout and a fly-out to center to seal the game and the series for the Black Bears.

Maine will visit Boston College on Tuesday in its non-conference finale, before traveling to Hartford for a three-game weekend series. First pitch in Brighton, Mass. on Tuesday is set for 5:30 p.m.

-UMaine-