Joe Bramanti hit a grandslam and drove in eight runs on Friday night while Trevor Labonte tossed a solid game on the mound, as the Maine Black Bears baseball team took the opener of a three game America East series with a 17-1 victory over UMBC at Alumni Field in Catonsville, Maryland.
Maine (8-13, 5-2 America East) jumped up 2-0 in the first inning on a two out solo homerun from Quinn McDaniel, and got another run on a throwing error by UMBC starting pitcher Luke Johnson. Leading 3-0, the Black Bears would blow the game open with seven runs in the top of the fourth. Jordan Schulefand hit a two-run double down the line in left, Jeff Mejia had an RBI single, and Bramanti unloaded the bases with a grandslam that snuck over the fence in centerfield. He later added a pair of two-run doubles. Bramanti now has a team leading seven homeruns and 33 RBI in 21 games so far this season.
Labonte (2-2) earned the win with a final line of 5.2 innings allowing one run on two hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Bramanti was the offensive leader on the night with four hits and the eight RBI. Mejia had three hits and scored four times, while McDaniel and Schulefand had two hits and three RBI a piece. McDaniel also scored three runs. Johnson (2-1), who entered Friday with just a 3.00 ERA this season, was touched up for nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits in just 3.1 innings in taking the loss. UMBC was held to just three hits. The Retrievers fall to 12-13, 4-3 in America East and had their four game win streak snapped. The teams continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m.
UME 2 0 1 7 0 2 5 0 0- 17 15 0
UMB 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0- 1 3 2
WP- Labonte (2-2) LP- Johnson (2-1)
HR- McDaniel (5), Bramanti (7)
2B- Bramanti 2, Mejia, Rainess, Schulefand, Trythall, Doran
SB- McDaniel
LOB- UMBC 11, Maine 8
