Runs were scarce once again for the University of Maine Baseball team, but the pitching and defense did enough to salvage two wins in three games against Stony Brook over the weekend at Mahaney Diamond.
The Black Bears grabbed both games of the Saturday doubleheader with victories of 2-1 and 3-2, while dropping Sunday’s contest 1-0 in 10 innings. With the wins, UMaine was able to keep a healthy lead atop the America East standings while also taking the season series from the Seawolves, who beat them in last year’s conference championship game.
In game one on Saturday, UMaine junior starter Tommy Lawrence’s first inning struggles continued, but the righty would once again find his form and be rescued in the later innings by his offense and defense.
“Tommy always says that his first inning’s the shaky one, but he settles in after that and he’s lights out,” said UMaine junior catcher Mike Connolly.
The case was no different for Lawrence on Saturday, as he allowed Stony Brook to gain the early edge. After a walk and a single to put runners on first and third, Seawolves junior catcher Anthony Italiano lifted a sacrifice fly to score the runner from third to make it 1-0 Stony Brook.
The score would stay that way until the fourth inning, when the Black Bears were able to even things up. UMaine junior first baseman Alex Calbick muscled an RBI double through, gusting winds that scored senior shortstop Mike Fransoso from first to knot the score 1-1.
The wind was an issue all day, but fans were not the only ones surprised by Calbick’s good contact.
“The wind was blowing straight in, unfortunately,” Calbick said. “I was looking for a fastball, he gave it to me and I put a good swing on it.”
“The Mahaney wind was against us today. I feel strongly we’re a pretty good hitting team and some balls got held up by the wind in game one,” said Trimper.
The conditions would not keep UMaine down though as they once again got to Seawolves junior starter Frankie Vanderka in the fifth. Junior second baseman Troy Black reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second to put a runner in scoring position for the Black Bears. Black came around just pitches later on an RBI single from junior left fielder Sam Balzano and the Black Bears grabbed their first lead of the game at 2-1.
Vanderka held UMaine to just five hits in the ball game, but the Black Bears made the most of their opportunities.
“We knew they’d come right after us,” Calbick said. “We just wanted to come out and put barrels on baseballs and get some runs, help out our pitchers.”
The offense did their part, but Lawrence and the defense held their end of the bargain as well.
Lawrence was lights out after the first, giving up six hits and just the one first inning run while striking out two in his complete game effort. The numbers were unusual for Lawrence, but Connolly explained he did not notice any difference.
“It’s something different every time he comes out. If something’s not working, something else comes out of the blue,” Connolly said. “His curveball wasn’t on today, but his cutter was unbelievable.
“Tommy just grinds it out and he might not have his best stuff, but he turns it into something positive,” Connolly added.
The righty ran into trouble in the sixth with another first-and-third situation, but the Black Bears defense came up huge to end the threat. Seawolves junior first baseman Kevin Courtney ripped a ball up the middle, but Black ranged into the hole and glove-flipped to Fransoso at second for one out. Fransoso then sent it to Calbick at first to complete the inning-ending double play.
Lawrence had a much easier time in the seventh, come up with a clean inning to seal the 2-1 victory for the Black Bears.
UMaine senior starter A.J. Bazdanes was the story in game two: The righty continued his streak of quality outings with another dazzling effort.
“A lot of guys that come back from Tommy John, I feel, are a little bit on the scared side and hesitant to come back, but A.J. took it right by the horns and he flipped it around,” Connolly said of his battery mate.
After giving up a first inning double to Courtney, Bazdanes took full control of the game by retiring the next 14 batters in order. The streak included four strikeouts and only two balls that left the infield.
Bazdanes said he was confident in his stuff throughout the day, but felt more comfortable with the defense behind him.
“To be honest, I thought I was going to throw a shutout because of the defense. They played great defense behind me,” Bazdanes said.
The Black Bear offense got the scoring started in the third inning when Calbick drove an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
UMaine looked to break open the game in the fourth, but were unable to take advantage. After three straight singles to start the inning and load the bases, the Black Bears could not capitalize as Stony Brook junior starter Brandon McNitt would strikeout Balzano and induce an inning-ending double play to escape the jam.
“We had bases loaded and no outs, and we had the strikeout and double play,” Trimper said. “We’ve got our 1-2 hitters up, so we’ve got to at least scrap for one or two runs there.”
The Black Bears made up for the squandered opportunity with two runs in the fifth. An RBI single from junior designated hitter Kyle Silva and an RBI groundout from junior third baseman Eric White helped extend the lead UMaine lead to 3-0.
The runs would prove important for UMaine, as the Seawolves caught Bazdanes off guard in the sixth. After he allowed two men to reach, Courtney got the best of Bazdanes again by lacing a two-run double to the deep center to help the Stony Brook get within one at 3-2.
“He had a fastball count, and I put a fastball where he could hit it,” Bazdanes said. “It was a fastball a little bit in, but I missed my spot. He just put a good swing on it.”
Bazdanes shook off the hiccup and buckled down again for the Black Bears after that. The righty gave up just a hit and a walk over the next three innings, en route to closing out the 3-0 victory.
In his first complete-game victory of the year, Bazdanes allowed four hits and two runs while walking just two and striking out nine.
Trimper was once again impressed by his two starters and in praise of their efforts.
“How many times do you go through a doubleheader and use two pitchers, two complete games?” Trimper said. “They were both sharp and there was no reason to go to the bullpen because they didn’t lose any stamina and they didn’t really make any mistakes.”
In addition to the big win for the team, Trimper reached a milestone of his own by collecting his 400th career victory.
The final game of the series proved to be another pitcher’s duel, this time featuring Connolly and Stony Brook freshman left hander Dan Zamora.
The Black Bears threatened early in the first inning by loading the bases with two outs. UMaine was again unable to capitalize as Silva went down looking to end the inning.
Zamora found the inside edge of the plate and mixed in a devastating curveball to keep the UMaine bats at bay for most of the afternoon. The lefty threw eight scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and striking out nine.
Connolly was able to match his counterpart, pitch-for-pitch, as right hander induced a slew of ground ball outs to give the offense a chance. Connolly went the first nine innings for the Black Bears allowing four hits while striking out five.
UMaine ran into trouble in the ninth, when Italiano singled and advanced to third after a fielder’s choice and a passed ball. With two out in the inning, Connolly induced a ground out to escape the jam.
Similarly, in the bottom of the ninth, the Black Bears gave Stony Brook a two-out scare. After consecutive walks, Black ripped a single to center field. Pinch runner Nick Bernardo rounded third, but Seawolves junior center fielder Josh Mason gunned down Bernardo at the plate on one bounce to end the inning and spoil the Black Bears opportunity.
In extras, sophomore reliever Luke Morrill came on for the Black Bears and the first two batters to reach. Freshman left fielder Jack Parenty ripped an RBI single just in front of a diving Colin Gay in center and gave Stony Brook the 1-0 lead.
The Seawolves would seal things in the bottom of the 10th, when Calbick grounded out to short with a runner on second to end the game and snap the Black Bears nine-game win streak.
UMaine, 24-15, will take on Holy Cross in Sanford, Maine on Tuesday, April 23, before they back into America East play with a weekend series against Hartford at Mahaney Diamond on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28.