The Maine Black Bears got a good start on the mound from Justin Courtney on Sunday morning, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead and the Hartford Hawks took a 3-1 America East baseball win at Fiondella Field at West Hartford, Connecticut.
Hartford was held to just three hits on the day, and Maine got off to a good start when Joe Bramanti continued his solid hitting at the plate with an RBI single in the first to make it 1-0. Courtney kept the Hawks off balance but got the no decision going 6.0 innings allowing no runs, two hits, with four walks and three strikeouts.
The host Hawks rallied off losing reliever Peter Kemble in the seventh. Bryce Ramsay walked to lead off the inning, and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Robert Carmody. John Thrasher then walked, but Jackson Olson struck out looking for the second out. Chris Sullivan then hit a ball to left field that was misplayed for an error by Maines Colin Ridley, allowing Ramsay and Thrasher to score unearned to make it 2-1 Hartford. Ashton Bardzell then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Cody Pasic that would score Sullivan to end the scoring on the day.
Maine put two runners on with one out in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn’t get anything across. Bramanti had three hits to lead the Bears, while Kemble fell to 3-6 allowing three runs (none earned) and one hit in 2.0 innings. Drew Demartino had two hits to lead Hartford. Joe Grassett (1-0) won in relief allowing just a walk in 2/3 of an inning. Jason Johndrow picked up his first save allowing one hit in 1.0 inning of work.
Maine falls to 14-29 overall, 10-10 in America East. The Bears stay in third place in the conference, while Hartford is now in a tie with Maine for third improving to 19-29, 10-10. The Black Bears play Tuesday in non-conference at Boston College at 5:30, before hosting Binghamton for the final regular season three games series next weekend.
