ORONO- The Maine baseball team opened up their home schedule on Friday with a doubleheader sweep of UMass-Lowell at Mahaney Diamond to stay unbeaten in America East action.
Game 1 (7 innings)- Quinn McDaniel had a two-run single and Jeremiah Jenkins a two-run double as part of a six run second inning as Maine rolled to a 9-3 win. Jake Rainess, McDaniel, and Jenkins all finished with two RBI each, while right hander Colin Fitzgerald (1-1) pitched into the seventh inning to earn the victory on the mound. Fitzgerald was charged with three runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Game 2 (9 innings)- Maine erupted for an eight run fourth inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead, but after UMass-Lowell rallied back to tie it 8-8 Jenkins helped the Black Bears to the sweep 9-8 with a two out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. Dean O’Neill had a two-run single, Dylan McNary a three-run homerun to right field, and Connor Goodman a three-run double that highlighted the big fourth inning for the hosts. The Riverhawks battled back with a two run fifth inning, and then got within 8-7 in the sixth when Jacob Humphrey slapped a two-run single, Alex Luccini had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Fritz Genther singled in a run. Ryan Proto scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to tie it. Maine manufactured the winning run in the eighth with two outs. Rainess walked, McDaniel then singled to right field, and Jenkins was jammed by a pitch inside but fought it off to hit a blooping RBI single to left just over the head of the third baseman. UML got a one out double by Trey Brown in their last chance in the ninth, but he was stranded there when Justin Baeyens struck out the next two batters to end it. Baeyens (1-1) earned the win in relief allowing one hit in 2.0 innings, striking out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings. Caleb Leys started on the hill and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Jenkins, Goodman, and O’Neill had two hits each, with Goodman and McNary driving in three a piece. Humphrey and Luccini both had two RBI and Brendan Williams (0-1) was tagged with the pitching loss in relief for UMass-Lowell, who falls to 4-19 and 0-5 in America East. Maine has now won four games in a row, improving to 11-11 overall and 5-0 in conference. The third and final game of the series is weather permitting on Saturday, with a possible time to be announced, as both teams have chosen not to play on Sunday.
Recaps/Photos/Videos by Chris Lessner
