Sweeney paces UMaine to 500th win for Winkin > Bears thump Boston College 16-9 as senior captain socks two homers

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – University of Maine senior center fielder and captain Mark Sweeney went 4-for-5, including his 10th and 11th homers of the season, to key a 19-hit attack that provided Dr. John Winkin with his 500th win at Maine, 16-9 over Boston College here Wednesday.

Winkin is now 500-268-2 in his 17th season at Maine. He was 301-236-5 in his 20 years at Colby College before coming to Maine.

Sweeney hit a pair of solo homers and two base hits as the Bears racked up their sixth consecutive win. Maine is now 19-13 overall and has won the last seven meetings between the two schools.

Boston College fell to 13-9 including back-to-back losses to North Atlantic Conference teams Northeastern (15-10 on Tuesday) and Maine.

Sweeney’s four hits extended his hitting streak to eight games during which he has gone 14-for-27 (.519) with 5 homers and 11 runs batted in.

He was one of eight Bears with two or more hits.

Senior right fielder Gary Taylor slugged his 10th homer and had two more base hits good for three RBIs. Designated hitter Shawn Tobin also drove in three runs with a double and a single.

Tobin extended his hitting streak to eight games (11-25, .440, 1 homer, 10 RBIs).

Brian Seguin, Todd Livingston, Glen Stupienski, Tim Scott and Paul Kelliher had two hits apiece for the Black Bears. Seguin had a double and Scott drove in two runs.

In addition to their 19 hits, Maine also stole five bases.

The Bears took the lead for good with five runs in the sixth inning, erasing a 9-8 deficiti.

Seguin doubled to right center to open the inning and Sweeney laid down a bunt single. Tobin belted a two-run double and Taylor followed with a two-run homer to left. Scott was hit by a pitch, Kelliher walked and Livingston capped the rally with a run-scoring base hit.

Joe Hayward had three hits for the Eagles, including a double, and Mike Martin and Dave Fraser had two apiece. Derek Fergus homered for BC, his third of the year.

Rob Higgins hurled 3 1/3 innings of three-hit shutout relief to notch the win, his fifth in six decisions. Chuck Nadeau pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Lefty Ed Therrien was roughed up, giving up 8 hits and 9 runs over 4 2/3 innings.

Alex McKenna, 2-2, absorbed the loss for the Eagles in relief of Doug MacNeil.

Maine will travel to Dartmouth College for a game against former Bear infielder and assistant coach Bob Whalen’s Big Green on Friday and then go to Burlington, Vt., for a three-game NAC set against the Vermont Catamounts this weekend.

Black Bears 16, Eagles 9

Maine Boston College

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Livingston, 3b 4 2 2 1 Martin, 3b 3 1 2 1

Seguin, ss 6 1 2 0 Fraser, rf 5 1 2 0

Sweeney, cf 5 5 4 2 Kelley, 2b 4 0 1 1

Tobin, dh 4 2 2 3 Taylor, 1b 4 2 0 0

Taylor, rf 6 4 3 3 Hayward, dh 5 2 3 1

Stupienski, lf 5 0 2 1 Mandile, ss 3 1 1 2

Scott, 2b 4 2 2 2 Brown, lf 4 0 0 0

Duross, 1b 6 0 0 0 Fergus, cf 3 2 1 1

Kelliher, c 4 0 2 1 Varnum, c 4 0 1 2

Knox, dh 2 0 0 0 Logue, ss 1 0 0 0

White, lf 0 0 0 0

a-Domenick 1 0 0 0

King, c 0 0 0 0

Totals 47 16 19 13 Totals 36 9 11 8

a-grounded out for Kelliher in 9th inning

Maine 104 035 102 – 16

Boston College 004 140 000 – 9

E – Livingston, Duross, C. Taylor, Mandile 2B – Seguin, Hayward, Mandile, Tobin HR – Sweeney 2 (10, 11), Taylor (10), Fergus (3) LOB -Maine 12, Boston College 6 DP – Seguin to Scott; Seguin to Scott to Duross; Taylor to Mandile SB – Livingston 2 (5, 6); Sweeney 2 (13, 14); White (4) SF – Kelley

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R BB SO

Maine

Higgins (W, 5-1) 3 1/3 3 0 0 2

Nadeau 1 0 0 0 1

Boston College

MacNeil 5 9 8 3 4

McKenna (L, 2-2) 4 10 8 2 2

HBP – Scott (by McKenna); White (by McKenna) WP – Therrien 2, MacNeil