The University of Maine baseball team got a game winning two-run homerun in the ninth inning from Juju Stevens on Tuesday afternoon, and stunned #22 Boston College 6-4 in non-conference action at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond in Brighton, Massachusetts. The Black Bears victory over the ranked ACC Eagles is the first win over a ranked opponent since they defeated #24 Miami (Florida) 6-1 on March 2, 2018.
Maine got off to a 3-0 lead in the first three innings on a RBI single by Troy Carpenter, a sacrifice fly for a RBI by Stevens, and a solo homerun by Carpenter. After the Eagles tied it with a three-run fourth inning, Albert DeLeRosa regained the lead for the guests with a double in the fifth that knocked in a run. Boston College (31-13) squared it back to even on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. After Quinn Murphy was retired to start the top of the ninth for the Black Bears, Carpenter singled before Stevens launched his 10th homer of the season to left field. The Eagles got the leadoff hitter on base with a walk in the bottom half, but Sebastian Holt finished it off to get the save when he induced a doubleplay groundout and got a strikeout that ended it.
Nick Wang led Boston College by reaching base all four times with two hits, two walks, and two RBI. Cesar Gonzalez (3-1) suffered the pitching loss in relief by giving up the homer to Stevens. Maine used six different pitchers, with Owen Wheeler (1-4) picking up his first win of the year and Holt recorded his third save. Carpenter had four hits and scored twice, Stevens knocked in three including the big shot in the ninth, and Brody Rasmussen added two hits. The Black Bears (12-24 overall) will take their 7-5 conference record into a three game America East series in Orono beginning on Friday vs UMBC.
Photos of Juju Stevens and Troy Carpenter from UMaine Athletics
