The Maine baseball and softball teams both wrapped up their three game America East series on Sunday afternoon. Softball was playing the rubber match on the road at Bryant, while baseball was looking to keep their win streak and perfect conference start going at home against Albany.
At Conaty Park in Smithfield, Rhode Island the Maine softball team got off a quick 3-0 lead but couldn’t hold it in falling to Bryant 4-3. An RBI single by Katie Jo Moery in the first inning, and a sacrifice bunt to score a run by Kennedy Priest along with an RBI double by Moery in the second made it 3-0 Black Bears. The Bulldogs (11-18, 3-5 America East) began their comeback on an RBI single by Courtney Paolantonio in the third, and a single to drive in a run by Gracie Bishop in the fourth. The hosts tied it when Paolantonio hit a two-out solo homerun in the fifth inning, and got the game winner when Hannah Cochran hit a solo homer to left center in the sixth. Moery had two hits and two RBI in the loss, and Caitlyn Fallon (5-10) took the defeat in relief of starter Alexandria Gruitch in the circle. Maine falls to 9-23 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The Black Bears play a non-conference conference doubleheader at Rhode Island on Monday, and then will return home to host a three game series with UMass-Lowell at Kessock Field next weekend.
At Mahaney Diamond in Orono, the Maine baseball team got a run off an error in the ninth inning to force extras and then got a walkoff RBI double by Quinn McDaniel in the 10th to finish off the sweep of Albany 4-3. The Black Bears got off to a quick start as Jeremiah Jenkins for the second straight day homered in the first inning, this time his 11th and a solo shot well over the fence in right field for a 1-0 lead. Albany (3-20-1, 0-9 America East) took their first lead of the weekend by scoring twice in the third on a two-run homerun by Carson Dunkel. Jake Marquez got the hosts back even with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Justin Hurd made it 3-2 Great Danes with an RBI double to left in the seventh inning. The guests had a chance to extend the lead in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out, but Colton Carson in relief struck out two to end the threat. Marquez began the last of the ninth with a single to center, and Colin Plante followed with an infield single. Myles Sargent then hit what should of been a doubleplay ball to the shortstop who tagged second base, but an errant throw to first allowed Marquez to score to tie it. Maine won it when Jake Rainess led off with a double to right field in the 10th, and McDaniel then came up and had the walkoff double. Jenkins had three hits in the victory, while Marquez, Plante, and Dylan McNary had two each. Justin Baeyens (2-1) won in relief on the mound. South Portland native Noah Lewis pitched well in his start and no-decision, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Hurd had two hits for Albany, while Dunkel knocked in two with his homerun. Owen Birkman (0-2) was tagged with the pitching defeat in relief, spoiling a great start by Dylan Banner who only allowed one earned run with six strikeouts over 7.0 innings. The Great Danes have now lost 12 games in a row. Maine is on an eight game win streak going to 15-11 and 9-0 in America East, and will hit the road for a three game series at second place Binghamton next weekend.
Recaps by Chris Lessner
Box Scores-
Softball
UME 1 2 0 0 0 0 0- 3 7 2
BRY 0 0 1 1 1 1 x- 4 6 1
WP- Kylie Kenney (7-7) LP- Fallon (5-10)
2B- Maine: Moery/Bryant: none
HR- Maine: none/Bryant: Paolantonio, Cochran
SB- Maine: McGouldrick, Francia/Bryant: none
E- Maine: McGouldrick, Pearson/Bryant: Paolantonio
Time- 1:51
Baseball-
ALB 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0- 3 7 2
UME 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1- 4 6 0
WP- Beayens (2-1) LP- Birkman (0-2)
2B- Maine: Rainess, McDaniel/Albany: Hurd
HR- Maine: Jenkins/Albany: Dunkel
SB- Maine: Rainess (2)/Albany: Bottari
E- Maine: none/Albany: Hurd (2)
Time- 2:32
