Maine baseball splits with NJIT, softball earns first conference win in a split with Bryant

Published by %s
April 7, 2024

The University of Maine baseball and softball teams both hosted America East doubleheaders against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Bryant University respectively in Orono Sunday afternoon.

Baseball (seven inning game)- At Mahaney Diamond in the first game, Maine got a great start on the mound from Gianni Gambardella and shutout NJIT 8-0. The Black Bears got the only run they needed on a Highlanders error in the second inning. They added an insurance run on an RBI double from Myles Sargent in the fourth, then tagged on six more in the fifth highlighted by a grandslam from Dean O’Neill.

 

Gambardella (2-4) went 6.0 innings allowing just one hit walking one and striking out five.

Sargent had two hits and two RBI, while O’Neill knocked in four with his big fly. Austin Francis had the only hit for NJIT, and lefthander Aidan Kidd (2-2) took the loss on the hill giving up eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Baseball (nine innings)- NJIT split the series in game two by getting two runs in the fourth inning and two more in the ninth to rally past Maine 6-5. After falling behind 2-0 early in the first inning, the Black Bears got a run back in the bottom half on the 12th homerun of the season from Jeremiah Jenkins to cut it to 2-1.

They took a 5-2 lead in the second on a two-run homer from Sargent, an RBI single by Jack Friend, and a Highlanders error that allowed another run to score.

A two-run homerun from Albert Choi for NJIT in the fourth sliced it to 5-4, and then in the ninth a one out two-run single by Cole Campbell completed the comeback. Sargent, O’Neill, and Will Burns had two hits for Maine with Sargent knocking in two. Jason Kreiger (1-3) took the pitching loss in relief of starter Luc Lavigueur and gave up two runs (one earned) with four walks and six strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Campbell, Choi, Kevin Putsky, and Cade Ladehoff had two hits a piece for NJIT with Campbell adding three RBI. Joe Georgini (3-2) won in relief. The Highlanders improve to 11-17 and 4-4 in America East.

 

Softball Game One- At the UMaine Softball Complex, Bryant scored seven times in the fifth inning to break open a close game and won by mercy rule 10-2. Kenedee Giddens scored on a passed ball and Krista Francia had an RBI double for the only Black Bear runs. MaKenna Coleman had two hits and four RBI for the Bulldogs, while Aleix Hudson had a three-run double. Grace McKillop (7-3) won in the circle allowing one earned run on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Kaly Thomas (1-6) lost in relief of Caitlyn Fallon for Maine.

Softball Game Two- Maine got a good effort in the circle from Isabelle True and won their first conference game of the season, splitting the afternoon with a 5-1 victory. A two-run error in the second inning is all the Black Bears needed, but they would add on in the fifth and sixth innings respectively with a Francia RBI single and a two-run double from Gabby Papushka.

True (2-7) gave up just the one run on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in the complete 7.0 inning performance. Brooke Tracy (4-2) took the defeat for Bryant allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings. The Bulldogs fall to 19-10 and 5-3 in conference play.

Maine baseball (7-19, 3-5 in America East) returns to action on Wednesday for a non-conference game at the University of Connecticut at 3 p.m., before getting back into conference play next weekend in a three game series at UMass-Lowell. Maine softball (3-25, 1-7) will play the finale of their three game set against Bryant on Monday morning at 11 a.m.

 

Recaps written by Chris Lessner/Videos courtesy of Maine Baseball and Maine Softball on Twitter

 

 

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