The Maine baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning on Wednesday evening to take the lead for good in topping Abany 11-5 in a first round single elimination America East Baseball Tournament game hosted by Binghamton University in Vestal, New York.
The #3 Black Bears scored to take a lead in their first at bat when Hunter St. Denis lifted a RBI sacrifice fly. The Great Danes put together a three run top of the second to take their only advantage of the contest on a infield RBI hit by Luke Filippi and a two-run single by Michael Maggio. Maine then jumped back in front for good with that four run bottom half of second inning on a RBI sacrifice bunt by Brody Rasmussen and a three-run homerun to leftfield by Nic Pepe. It was 6-3 after Albert De La Rosa hit a solo homer in the third. #6 seed Albany crept back within 6-5 and had the tying run on third base in the sixth with two outs, but Black Bears starting pitcher Jason Krieger retired Maggio on a unassisted groundout to first to end the threat. Maine put it away in the bottom half to end the scoring with a five spot on a Pepe RBI single, a two-run single by Juju Stevens, and a two-run double from Quinn Murphy to end the evening for America East Pitcher of the Year Dylan Banner who couldn’t get through six and was pounded for 15 hits.
Cooper Loyal went 4 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored for Albany. Patrick DeSarno had three hits, Filippi had two, and Maggio knocked in three runs. Banner (2-6) was charged for all 11 runs in taking the pitching loss with one walk and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The Great Danes end their season with a record of 15-34. The top of the Maine lineup in Pepe, Stevens, and America East Rookie of the Year St. Denis got it done. They combined to go 7-13 with seven RBI and five runs scored. Murphy had two hits and two RBI, while De La Rosa had three hits and knocked in one. Krieger (4-6) was a workhorse on the bump in picking up the victory giving up five runs on 11 hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings. He threw 127 pitches/80 for strikes. The Black Bears (22-30) now advance to the double elimination portion of the tournament and will face #2 UMBC on Thursday at 3 p.m.
Photo from UMaine Athletics
