The University of Maine baseball team faced Bethune-Cookman University out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) over the weekend at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida as the season opening spring trip comes close to an end. The Black Bears were able to salvage the final game of the series over the Wildcats on Sunday to avoid a sweep, and pick up their second spring victory of the campaign.
On Friday night- In a close back and forth battle in the opener, Jason Hodges would steal home plate for the game winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Bethune-Cookman came up victorious 6-5. Colin Plante had two hits for Maine. Jeremiah Jenkins also had a pair of hits, including a two-run homerun to right field to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Gianni Gambardella started on the mound for the Black Bears and got a no-decision allowing five runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Marshall Smaracko (0-1) was tagged with the loss in 1.0 inning out of the pen.
On Saturday night- Bethune-Cookman made it two in a row in a wild one over Maine 19-16. After the Wildcats had a 4-3 lead after one inning, the Black Bears battled back in front when Jenkins hit a solo homer to right and Connor Goodman scored on a wild pitch in the top of the third inning to make it 5-4. Zach Martin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth to extend it to 6-4 Maine, but the game was ultimately won in the bottom half of the inning when Bethune-Cookman plated nine runs. Jenkins, Goodman, Jake Marquez, and Camden MacDonald all had two hits each in the loss. Jenkins and Martin had three RBI a piece, while Nick White, Myles Sargent, and Marquez had two each. Jason Kreiger got a no-decision on the hill and didn’t record an out in the first inning allowing four runs on two hits with four walks. Noah Lewis (0-4) took the defeat giving up eight runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
On Sunday afternoon- Maine scored three times in the sixth inning to salvage the final contest of the series 6-4. MacDonald had an infield single for an RBI in that three run sixth, and Nick White followed two batters later by slapping a two-run double to right that turned out to be the game winner. Logan Burrill had a three-run homer in the win for the Black Bears. Sargent and MacDonald had two hits, while White had his two RBI. Former Old Town High School standout and freshman Gabe Gifford got the start on the hill and got a no-decision allowing three runs (none earned) on one hit with five walks and five strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Ryan Scott (1-0) picked up the victory giving up no runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in 2.0 innings. Maine improved to 2-10, while Bethune-Cookman fell to 6-9.
Maine has four more games left on the trip, all in Florida. They take on the University of South Florida for a single game on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before a three game series at Florida Atlantic next Friday through Sunday. The Black Bears are scheduled to play their home opener on Wednesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. in non-conference action against Thomas College at Mahaney Diamond, before opening up the America East schedule also at Mahaney that same week March 22 through March 24 (three game series) against Bryant University.
Recaps by Chris Lessner
