Maine baseball gets past UMass-Lowell and into the winners bracket

Published by %s
May 25, 2023

The top seeded Maine Black Bears played for the first time in the America East Baseball Tournament at the Bearcat Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York on Thursday. A two-run single by Jeremiah Jenkins in the fifth inning would provide the difference, as Maine got past #5 UMass-Lowell 10-7 and advanced into a winners bracket game on Friday.

A wild back and forth contest saw UMass-Lowell (20-34) strike for a run in the top of the first inning. The Riverhawks then loaded the bases with one out, and it looked as if Brandon Fish had hit a grandslam down the right field line to make it 5-0. After a conference though between the umpires, it was ruled a foul ball and they settled for the lone run. Maine tied it in their first at bat when Nick White hit a two out RBI double down the left field line. UML went back ahead on a two-run homerun by Fritz Genther to left in the third inning. The Black Bears responded to that with a solo homer from Quinn McDaniel and a two-run shot by Nick White in the bottom half to jump back ahead 4-3. The Riverhawks took their final lead of the day in the fourth on an RBI double by Robert Gallagher and an RBI groundout from Genther. Matt McElwain restored a one run lead for the Black Bears with a two out, two-run homerun deep over the fence in left field in the fifth inning. They added on in the sixth on the two-run single by Jenkins and an RBI groundout from Connor Goodman to make it 9-5. UMass-Lowell cut the deficit in half when Trey Brown hit a two-run homer in the seventh, but Maine ended the scoring when Goodman had a two out RBI single in the eighth. Justin Baeyens closed it out in the ninth by retiring the side in order.

Colin Fitzgerald started the game on the mound in the win for Maine, but was lifted by coach Nick Derba after just 2.2 innings. Noah Lewis (7-1) would pick up the victory allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Beayens picked up his seventh save. Jenkins had three hits, and Goodman, White, and Colin Plante had two each. White had three RBI, while Jenkins, Goodman, and McElwain had two a piece. Genther and Fish had two hits each for UMass-Lowell, with Genther driving in four runs. Matt Draper (3-9) took the loss on the hill allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits in 5.0 innings. The Riverhawks now head to the losers bracket and will play again to try avoid elimination Thursday night at 7. The Black Bears (30-19) will play #2 UMBC (30-25) on Friday at 1 p.m., with the winner of that game moving on to the Championship Round on Saturday.

Recap and photos by Chris Lessner/Videos courtesy of Maine Baseball on Twitter 

Photo- Maine first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins at the plate in a game earlier this season at Mahaney Diamond in Orono

 

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