After a postponement on Tuesday against Thomas College, the University of Maine baseball team was able to open up their home schedule at Mahaney Diamond in Orono on Wednesday evening in non-conference play against neighboring Division III opponent Husson University. Three Black Bears had at least two hits, and three homered as they opened that home slate with an 11-4 victory over the Eagles.
Maine jumped on top 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a Connor Goodman RBI single to centerfield, and a bases loaded walk by Dean O’Neill.
Goodman gets us on the board first with an RBI single to center!!
1-0 Black Bears#blackbearnation | #wineverything pic.twitter.com/s3f0xROKX3
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) March 27, 2024
Husson cut that lead in half on an RBI double by Cam Rendall in the third. The Black Bears broke it open in the fourth and fifth innings respectively. Jake Marquez singled in a run, and Zach Martin added a two-run single in the fourth. In the fifth- O’Neill led off with a solo homerun to left, and then after loading the bases Jeremiah Jenkins hammered his ninth longball of the season with a grandslam deep over the fence in right to make it 10-1.
First HOME RUN at Mahaney in 2024 goes too …… Dean O'Neill 🚀
His second long ball of the season and we increase our lead to 6-1!!#blackbearnation | #wineverything pic.twitter.com/ZU5Y7iQtAi
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) March 27, 2024
NO. DOUBT. GRAND. SLAM. 🥞
Jerry leaves no-doubt on his NINTH home run of the season!!
10-1 Black Bears#blackbearnation | #wineverything pic.twitter.com/32pPqWJMDA
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) March 27, 2024
Colin Plante hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot to right center in the seventh.
PLANTE LEAVES THE YARD 🫡
His first home run of the season is LAUNCHED to right field!!
11-3 Black Bears#blackbearnation | #wineverything pic.twitter.com/sVkT49eO9H
— Maine Baseball (@MaineBaseball) March 27, 2024
Noah Lewis started on the mound for Maine and got a no-decision allowing one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 3.0 innings. Geoff Mosseau (1-0) picked up the win with a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Martin had three hits, while Plante and Goodman had two each. Jenkins drove in four runs with his grandslam, and Martin drove in a pair. Former Ellsworth High standout Hunter Curtis had two hits for Husson, while Rendall, Colin Marshall, and Ryan Bousquet had one RBI a piece. Matt Wallingford (0-1) took the defeat allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and a strikeout in his lone inning pitched in the first. The Eagles are now 2-5 on the season. Maine improves to 4-16 and will take their 1-2 America East record back into conference play with a three game series at Albany beginning Friday afternoon. The Great Danes are off to a 1-15 start (1-1 in America East). Husson is yet to play a North Atlantic Conference game as of yet, and is scheduled to host a non-conference doubleheader with UMPI on Saturday in Bangor.
Recap by Chris Lessner/Video highlights courtesy of Maine Baseball on Twitter
