The Maine Black Bears built a 12-4 sixth inning lead on Friday afternoon, and then held off a three inning charge by the Albany Great Danes for a 12-10 America East baseball win at Varsity Field in Albany, New York.
Maine (13-14, 10-3 America East) started things off with a bang in the first inning. Jordan Schulefand singled to lead off and Jeremiah Jenkins walked. After Quinn McDaniel reached on a fielders choice, Joe Bramanti was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Scout Knotts unloaded them with a grandslam to left field. Albany came right back with three of their own in the home half on a three-run homerun by Michael Whalen to left. The Black Bears extended their advantage to 6-3 with two outs in the fourth when Mike Pratte walked and Schulefand followed with a two-run homerun to left. It was 10-3 when the guests tacked on four more in the fifth inning on a wild pitch, a two-run error, and a passed ball. The biggest lead was 12-4 in the sixth when Connor Goodman doubled in a run and Jake Marquez singled in another. The Great Danes wouldn’t go away though getting two runs in the seventh on two wild pitches, and two in the eighth on a two-run single by Whalen. In their last at bat in the ninth a walk, an infield single, a wild pitch, and then a two-run single by Chris Fisher would put Albany in business. After Josh Loeffler reached on an error to put the tying run base and one out, Maine went back to the bullpen and brought in Matt Pushard. Pushard induced a groundout, and then after a walk to load the bases, would strike out Whalen looking to end it.
Trevor Labonte (3-3) started the game and got the win for Maine allowing five runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Pushard picked up his fourth save. Schulefand had three hits, while Knotts and Marquez had two each. Bramanti scored three runs. The Black Bears have hit 24 homeruns in their 13 conference games. Ray Weber (2-5) took the loss for Albany and allowed six runs on five hits in 4.0 innings of work. Whalen had five RBI on two hits. Brad Malm and Johnny Marti had three hits a piece. The Great Danes fall to 15-14, 5-8 in conference play. The second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.
UME 4 0 0 2 4 2 0 0 0- 12 10 1
UALB 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 2- 10 15 3
WP- Labonte (3-3) LP- Weber (2-5)
HR- Knotts (5), Whalen (2), Schulefand (2), Marti (2)
3B- Malm
2B- Bramanti, Goodman, Loeffler
SB- Pratte
LOB- Albany 12, Maine 9
