Worcester, Bears top Husson 12-5

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ORONO – Rob Worcester hadn’t pitched since an April 3 shelling against Temple. Kregg Jarvais had managed one base hit in his previous five games.

Wednesday’s game against Husson College of Bangor had no bearing on the America East standings, but it provided those two players with a needed confidence boost.

Worcester earned his first collegiate victory with four innings of one-hit ball and Jarvais knocked in four runs with a pair of clutch hits as Maine posted a 12-5 victory at sun-splashed Mahaney Diamond.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ Division I Black Bears are 12-19 heading into a four-game weekend conference series against Hartford in Orono. Coach John Kolasinski’s 14-13 Braves play an NAIA Divison II schedule.

Maine wasn’t particularly sharp defensively, committing three errors, but scored three runs in the fifth inning and six more in the sixth to break open a 3-3 ballgame.

Worcester combined with starter Jason Hall, Tom Morelli and Brian Pugh to limit Husson to six hits and two earned runs. They walked six.

Worcester was happy to pitch, regardless of the opponent.

“There’s a lot of pitchers and not all of us get a lot of innings, so when we get in we just make the best of it,” said Worcester, who was plagued by arm problems and worked only one inning last season.

The freshman righthander from Columbia Falls mixed a good fastball and a changeup, he struck out four and walked three, allowing three unearned runs.

“He [Worcester] threw strikes,” Kostacopoulos said. “He had a changeup going and he cut his fastball a little bit. I thought that was a good performance. He still needs to locate the ball down.”

Worcester worked out of trouble in the third, striking out Takeo Nakamura with the bases loaded after his teammates committed a pair of errors behind him. He also escaped a two-on, nobody-out jam in the sixth, retiring the next three batters he faced.

“I was working with my change-up, setting it up with a good fastball,” Worcester said. “Basically, my out pitch is my changeup.”

Jarvais, who has been inconsistent at the plate this season, took a .209 average into Wednesday’s contest. He had posted one hit in his previous 11 at-bats.

“I’ve been struggling at the plate a little bit this year,” Jarvais said.

Jarvais, who came on in the fourth inning, was encouraged after stroking a two-out, two-run single in the fifth and a two-run double with two down in the sixth.

“I got a couple pitches to hit and I produced a little bit, so it feels good to actually get a couple hits and help the team out,” he said.

Braves starter Brent Brown of Bangor limited Maine to one hit and three unearned runs through four innings. With the score tied 3-3, Maine made its move with a two-out rally in the fifth.

T.J. Sheedy pinged a double to right, then Brown walked Gabe Memmert and Brian Poire. Rex Turner followed with an RBI single to left and Jarvais plated two runs with a single to right.

“He got the two-out hit in the big inning and he got a double in a big spot. For Kregg Jarvais, that’s huge, because that will bring his confidence right up,” Kostacopoulos said.

Maine kept the offensive momentum going in the sixth against reliever John Montgomery. Keith Croteau laced an RBI single, Julian Bracali lined a two-run home run, Turner provided an RBI single, and Jarvais roped a two-run double as the Bears made it 12-3.

Jarvais and Turner were the repeat hitters for Maine. Freshman lefty Tom Morelli also pitched two-innings of one-hit relief.

Aaron Largay provided two hits and an RBI for the Braves. Jeremy Rocheford and Matt Lomax each pitched a scoreless inning.

Black Bears 12, Braves 5

Husson (14-13) Maine (12-19)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Cyr, cf 4 0 0 0 Bracali, dh 5 1 1 2

Sawyer, ss 5 1 0 0 Sheedy, cf 5 2 1 0

Malo, rf 1 2 1 1 Memmert, 1b 2 3 1 1

Peary, dh 4 0 0 0 Halsted, 1b 1 0 0 0

Anderson, dh 1 0 1 0 Poire, 3b-2b 3 2 1 0

Pickering, 1b 4 0 0 0 Truman, 2b 1 0 0 0

a-Hunt 1 0 0 0 Turner, lf 4 1 2 2

Curtis, lf 3 1 0 0 Hambelton, lf 1 0 0 0

Largay, 2b 4 0 2 1 Domurat, c 1 0 0 0

Corey, c-3b 3 0 1 0 Jarvais, c 3 0 2 4

Morris, 3b 2 0 0 0 Pantazis, c 0 0 0 0

Nakmra,3b-c 4 1 1 1 Brewer, rf 2 1 0 0

Coombs, rf 0 1 0 0

Croteau, 2b-ss 4 1 1 1

Harvie, ss 3 0 0 1

Fernandez, 3b 1 0 1 0

Totals 36 5 6 3 Totals 36 12 10 11

a – struck out for Pickering in the ninth

Husson 012 001 001 – 5

Maine 210 036 00x – 12

E – Sawyer, Nakamura 2; Memmert, Poire, Harvie 2B – Nakamura; Sheedy, Memmert, Jarvais, Fernandez HR – Bracali (3) LOB – Husson 12; Maine 6 SB – Sheedy, Jarvais 2, Coombs SF – Malo

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Husson

Brown (L,1-4) 4 2/3 4 6 3 3 2

Montgomery 1 5 6 6 2 0

Rocheford 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 0

Lomax 1 0 0 0 0 1

Maine

Hall 2 2 1 1 2 2

Worcester (W,1-4) 4 1 3 0 3 4

Morelli 2 1 0 0 0 1

Pugh 1 2 1 1 1 1

HBP – Cyr, by Worcester; Coombs, by Rocheford WP – Worcester BK – Worcester TIME – 2:40 ATTENDANCE – 322