Quinn McDaniel hit a two-run single to left field with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, giving the Maine Black Bears a comeback 7-6 win over the NJIT Highlanders in the rubber game of a weekend America East baseball series at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
NJIT (13-13, 8-4 America East) led the entire game until the last at bat for Maine. Albert Choi hit a first inning solo homerun, and Paul Franzoni hit a two-run shot in the third to make it 3-0. The Black Bears got on the board when Joe Bramanti and Scout Knotts hit back to back solo homers in the fourth. The Highlanders came right back and added to their lead with three runs in the fifth, on a two-run single by Luke Longo and a sacrifice RBI fly from Nick Hussey to make it 6-2. The hosts got a single run on an RBI single from Jake Marquez in the sixth, and then pulled within a run again in the seventh when Knotts singled in a run and Ryan Turenne slapped an RBI double down the right field line. Maine had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but NJIT escaped the threat when Knotts struck out and Turenne grounded out. Connor Goodman began the Black Bears rally in the ninth with an infield single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Marquez. Mike Pratte was then hit by a pitch, and Jordan Schulefand walked to load the bases. McDaniel then took a 2-2 pitch and found a gap in left center to drop in the game winner, scoring pinch runner Myles Sargent and Pratte to set off a celebration and give Maine the weekend series win.
Schulefand (3-1) was credited with the pitching win facing just one batter. Goodman had three hits, while McDaniel, Bramanti, Knotts, and Marquez had two each. Brett Erwin started on the mound for Maine and gave up six runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Noah Lewis was fantastic in long relief allowing no runs on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Closer Jake Rappaport (0-3) was tagged in the loss in for NJIT. Choi had four hits and Franzoni had two. The Black Bears improve their record to 12-14, 9-3 in America East and will play a non-conference game Wednesday evening at home against Thomas College, before opening a three game conference series at Albany next weekend.
