Both Maine baseball and softball were in action over the weekend against the Hartford Hawks in America East play. The baseball team swept a doubleheader at home Saturday, before dropping the series finale at Mahaney Diamond Sunday. Meanwhile the softball team started off conference play 3-0 by sweeping the Hawks down at West Hartford, Connecticut.
In Saturdays first game of a baseball doubleheader, Colin Ridley scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th inning to provide the only scoring in a 1-0 Maine win. Justin Courtney got a no decision but went eight innings, allowing just two hits, two walks, while striking out five. Nick Lawyerson (2-1) picked up the win in relief with a perfect ninth inning.
In game two, Hartford took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Caleb Kerbs tied it for Maine with a two run single in the bottom half.
Jonathan Bennett hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the third inning that provided the difference as Maine won 3-2.
Jonah Normandeau (1-3) picked up his first win of the season on the hill for Maine going six innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits, with one walk. Jeff Gelinas picked up his fourth save, walking two and striking out one in one inning of work.
In Sundays finale, Hartford opened up as much as an eight run lead at 10-2, and held on to defeat Maine 10-6.
Bennett opened the scoring for Maine with an RBI single to center in the first. After that it was all Hawks. Hartford had only two players in the lineup all afternoon that didn’t record a hit and had five players with multiple hits, in pounding a total of 15 hits on the day.
The Maine offense collected 11 hits, including two and a pair of RBI from Jeremy Pena. Nick Silva suffered the loss on the hill for Maine going 1.2 innings, allowing three runs, all earned, four hits, two walks and a strikeout.
Maine goes to 9-16 overall, 3-3 in America East. Hartford moves to 8-16, 2-4. Maine will next host a non-conference series starting Friday when they welcome in the Manhatten College Jaspers for a pair of games starting at 3 p.m. Saturdays doubleheader will start at 1 p.m.
In game one Saturday in West Hartford, the Maine softball team opened up their conference schedule against the Hawks, in a three game set where Maine was the home team.
In a back and forth game, in which the Black Bears had to overcome a five RBI effort from Hartford DH Bianca Ross, Maine would rally and prevail late 7-6.
Rachel Carlson had the biggest hit of the day for the Bears providing an insurance run with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Maine lead to 7-5. Maine held on for the one run victory, despite an RBI double from Ross in the top of the seventh. Annie Kennedy (2-3) earned the win in relief going the last two innings and allowing three earned runs, four hits, one walk, and one strikeout.
In Saturdays second game, Hartford jumped up early 1-0 in the first on a Elizabeth Newkirk solo homerun.
Maine responded right away as Laurine Germain tied it with a solo homer, and then Alyssa Derrick later in the inning uncorked a three run homer to make it 4-1 Maine, and the Bears never looked back in the 6-2 win.
Molly Flowers (3-7) went the distance to get the win for Maine, going seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts.
In Sundays finale, Maine took a 7-0 lead and then held on for an 8-4 win, for their 11th consecutive win over the Hartford Hawks.
Rachel Harvey had three hits and three RBI to lead the Maine offense. Carlson had a pair of RBI and Meghan Royle cranked her first homer of the season, a solo shot.
Kennedy (3-3) picked up another win in relief, going the final 4.2 innings, allowing three runs, none earned, six hits, with three strikeouts.
Maine goes to 8-17 overall, 3-0 in America East. Hartford is 3-29, 0-5. Maine will continue conference play Wednesday when they visit UMass-Lowell for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. The Bears will finally be in Orono next weekend to open their home schedule when they welcome in Stony Brook for a doubleheader Saturday starting at 12, and a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.
