The Maine Black Bears scored seven runs in the first inning on Saturday afternoon, and cruised to a 15-2 America East baseball win over the Hartford Hawks at Mahaney Diamond in Orono. Maine has now won 12 games in a row.
After a tough battle on Friday, with Maine holding to win 7-5, there was no such drama on Saturday. Three singles in a row by Jordan Schulefand, Jeff Mejia, and Quinn McDaniel quickly loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first. After Joe Bramanti struck out, Schulefand scored a wild pitch, Scout Knotts hit a two-run single to centerfield, Jeremiah Jenkins along with Connor Goodman doubled in a run each, and Jake Marquez hit a two-run homerun to left field to make it 7-0. That was part of a 16 hit attack on the day. Schulefand had five hits and scored three runs, Knotts had three hits and three RBI, while both Jenkins and Goodman had two hits and two RBI a piece. Caleb Leys (3-1) won on the mound allowing one run on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Tremayne Cobb Jr. had three hits and both RBI for Hartford. Tim Blaisdell (1-7) took the loss on the mound for the Hawks, who fall to 6-30 on the season (5-15 America East).
Maine is now 22-14, 17-3 in America East and will go for their fifth three-game conference sweep on the season in the finale of the weekend at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
