UM sweeps home debut> Bears win 4 from Drexel

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ORONO – Pitching consistency has been a problem this season for the University of Maine baseball team. And while the Black Bears didn’t throw any no-hitters over the weekend, the pitching staff found a way to get the job done in a four-game America East series against Drexel.

Starters Rusty Tucker and Jim Bailin took care of business Sunday after the relief corps picked up the slack Saturday as UMaine posted a rare weekend sweep in their Mahaney Diamond debut.

The Black Bears took Sunday’s doubleheader 10-2 and 5-2 after winning 7-6 and 10-9 in sweeping Saturday’s twinbill.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ ballclub improved to 14-18, pushing its America East record to 6-6 while earning its first four-game sweep of a league opponent in two years. Suddenly, the Bears are energized.

“We don’t dominate that team: two one-run ballgames yesterday, a tight ballgame in the fourth game today and, to win them all, that’s pretty good for us,” Kostacopoulos said.

Drexel slipped to 11-23, 3-9 in America East play.

In the series finale, lefthander Jim Bailin allowed only five hits through 6 2/3 innings to help the Bears complete the sweep.

The junior struck out seven, but walked six and threw 126 pitches before senior Jared Cochran came on to get his fourth save.

“That was a big weekend for us, got us right back at .500 and put us back in the conference] race,” Bailin said. “It’s a big boost, especially going into Vermont next weekend.”

UMaine found itself in a bit of a lull, trailing 1-0 after four innings.

“We’d already won three games and kind of had that drag into the fourth game,” said Augusta’s Keith Genest. “Coach brought us all together and said, `This is where you’ve got to pick it up right here.’ ”

Genest responded, jump-starting UMaine by drilling a high home run to left to open the fifth.

“Runs aren’t coming. We’re getting frustrated,” Kostacopoulos said. “Keith hits a home run, then all of a sudden you see the next guy’s got a little more confidence. That was the hit of the ballgame.”

After loser Josh Zumbach hit Brett Ouellette, Mike Livulpi laced a hit-and-run single to right and Julian Bracali flared an RBI single down the line in right. One out later, Ray Goirigolzarri grounded a run-producing single to left.

Livulpi and Bracali smacked RBI doubles in the sixth to give UMaine some breathing room.

Ted Grunenwald and Jason West singled twice each for Drexel.

In Sunday’s first game, Rusty Tucker scattered five hits through six innings and received ample offensive support as the Bears cruised. The sophomore lefty was erratic in spots, walking five and hitting one, but he also fanned eight while throwing 121 pitches.

UMaine scored five times in the second inning with the help of two Drexel errors, building a 6-1 bulge. Livulpi and Bracali both walked with the bases, Jon Hambelton hit a sacrifice fly and Mike Ross ripped an RBI single in the inning.

Quin Peel (7-for-13 in the series) stroked a two-run single in the fourth that made it 8-2, then Joe Drapeau yanked a towering, two-run homer to left in the six that upped the lead to 10-2.

Drapeau added a single for the Bears, while Genest rapped a double and a single among UMaine’s nine hits.

Drexel committed three errors, all of which led to runs.

On Saturday, UMaine patiently worked Dragons pitchers for 18 walks in the two games and demonstrated a strong bullpen as three pitchers combined to allow four earned runs in 7 2/3 innings of relief.

In the nightcap, Hambelton worked Drexel reliever Shane Carroll for a two-out walk and Goirigolzarri singled through the middle to ignite the winning rally. Peel got up in the count 3-1 before lacing the game-winning double down the left-field line.

“Lucky for me he got behind in the at-bat early and when it was 3-1 I was pretty much sitting dead-red, hoping he’d throw it in there,” Peel said. “He did, and a good thing happened. It was good to see that we were patient with everything.”

Peel added two singles, one in UMaine’s two-run fifth inning, which included an RBI double by Goirigolzarri (double, 2 singles), who later delivered a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Hambelton added a run-scoring single in that inning.

“[Drexel] did what we’ve been doing. They let us hang around just enough to think we could win,” Kostacopoulos said. “That’s one of the most exciting comeback wins since I’ve been here.”

In Saturday’s first game, Livulpi and Ross belted solo home runs in the fourth inning, helping the Bears regain the momentum after blowing a 5-0 lead.

UMaine starter Kris Ehmke struggled, but Rob Worcester held down the fort with 2 2/3 innings of steady relief and Cochran got the final four outs to earn the save.

The Bears scored four first-inning runs on Hambelton’s two-run double and a two-out, RBI infield single by Peel. UMaine made it 5-0 in the second on a bases-loaded walk.

Drexel struck for four runs in the fourth behind Josh Yocum’s three-run homer. Greg Mellott tied it with a solo shot in the fifth, but the blasts by Livulpi and Ross in the bottom of the inning gave UMaine the lead for good.

Black Bears 7, Drexel 6

(Saturday’s First Game)

Drexel Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Mellott, 3b 1 2 1 1 Livulpi, cf 4 2 2 1

Francis, lf 3 1 0 0 Ouellette, dh-rf 1 0 0 0

Boehm, dh 4 0 0 0 Young, rf 0 0 0 0

DeMarco, 1b 4 1 2 1 Ross, lf 3 2 1 1

Yocum, rf 2 1 1 3 Hambelton, 1b 2 1 1 3

Martine, c 3 0 1 0 Drapeau, 3b 3 0 0 0

Grunerwald, 2b 4 1 1 0 c-Genest 1 0 0 0

West, ss 3 0 1 1 Nunez, 3b 0 0 0 0

Smith, cf 2 0 0 0 Barrett, rf 2 1 1 0

b-Calvani 1 0 0 0 a-Goirigolzarri 0 0 0 0

Coker, cf 0 0 0 0 Peel, ss 2 0 1 1

Bracali, 2b 3 0 0 0

Picard, c 2 1 0 0

Totals 27 6 7 6 Totals 23 7 6 6

a-walked for Barrett in the fifth

b-struck out for Smith in the sixth

c-popped out Drapeau in the sixth

Drexel 004 101 0 – 6

Maine 410 200 x – 7

E – DeMarco, Martine; Picard 2B – West, Hambelton HR – Mellott (2), Yocum (1); Livulpi (2), Ross (7) LOB – Drexel 7, Maine 7 DP – Grunendwald-West-DeMarco; Peel-Bracali-Hambelton SB – Francis; Barrett, Picard S – Ouellette

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Drexel

Sheehan 1 1/3 3 5 2 2 2

Mondesir (L,1-3) 4 2/3 3 2 2 5 3

Maine

Ehmke 3 3 4 4 5 2

Worcester (W,2-2) 2 2/3 3 2 2 1 3

Cochran (S,3) 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 0

HBP – Peel by Mondesir WP – Ehmke, Worcester PB – Martine TIME – 2:27

Black Bears 10, Dragons 9

Saturday’s Second Game

Drexel Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Mellott, 3b 5 3 2 1 Livulpi, cf 4 0 0 0

Grunenwald, 2b 4 0 3 3 Ouellette, rf 2 0 0 0

Boehm, dh 4 1 2 1 Genest, rf 1 1 0 0

DeMarco, 1b 3 2 2 2 Ross, lf 3 2 1 0

Yocum, rf 3 0 2 1 Hambelton, 1b 2 3 2 1

West, ss 3 1 2 1 Goirigolzarri, dh 4 3 3 1

Bailey, c 4 0 0 0 Drapeau, 3b 2 1 1 2

Coker, cf 3 0 1 0 Peel, ss 4 0 3 2

Smith, cf 0 1 0 0 Bracali, 2b 3 0 1 2

Francis, lf 3 1 0 0 Picard, c 1 0 0 0

Carlton, c 1 0 0 0

Totals 32 9 14 9 Totals 27 10 11 8

Drexel 031 310 1 – 9

Maine 011 024 2 – 10

E – Yocum, Bailey; Drapeau 2B – DeMarco, Yocum; Hambelton, Goirigolzarri, Drapeau, Peel LOB – Drexel 9, Maine 13 DP – Mellott-Grunenwald-Bailey SB – West; Hambelton, Goirigolzarri S – Grunenwald, Francis SF – West; Drapeau, Peel, Bracali

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Drexel

Metzger 4 5 4 4 6 3

Fitzpatrick 1 4 4 4 1 0

Carroll (L,0-3) 1 2 2 2 4 0

Maine

Johnson 3 1/3 9 7 3 2 5

Labelle (W,1-1) 3 2/3 5 2 2 2 4

HBP – Picard by Metzger, Goirigolzarri by Fitzpatrick WP – Fitzpatrick, Johnson 2; Labelle 2 PB – Bailey, Picard TIME – 2:53 ATTENDANCE – 369

Black Bears 10, Dragons 2

(Sunday’s First Game)

Drexel Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Mellott, 3b-p 4 0 1 0 Livulpi, cf 3 2 1 1

Grunenwald, 2b 2 0 0 0 Bracali, 2b 3 1 0 1

West, ss 4 0 1 1 Hambelton, 1b 3 0 0 1

DeMarco, 1b 3 0 0 0 Ross, lf 2 1 1 1

Calvani, lf 3 0 0 0 Goirigolzarri, dh 2 1 1 0

Kaufman 1 0 0 0 Drapeau, 3b 4 2 2 2

Boehm, dh 0 1 0 0 Peel, ss 4 1 1 2

Lucas, 3b 1 0 0 0 Genest, rf 2 1 2 0

Martine, c 3 0 1 0 Young, rf 1 0 0 0

Kolodzey 1 0 0 0 Picard, c 3 1 1 0

Yocum, rf 2 1 0 1

Francis, cf 3 0 2 0

Totals 27 2 5 2 Totals 27 10 9 8

a-grounded out for Calvani in the seventh

Drexel 010 100 0 – 2

Maine 150 202 x – 10

E – Mellott, West, Martine; Drapeau, Peel 2B – Livulpi, Genest HR – Drapeau (9) LOB – Drexel 11, Maine 7 DP – Bracali-Peel-Hambelton SB – Livulpi SF – Hambelton

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Drexel

Higgins (L,0-5) 1 1/3 4 6 4 4 0

Mellott 4 2/3 5 4 4 2 5

Maine

Tucker (W,2-2) 6 5 2 1 5 8

Truman 1 0 0 0 0 1

HBP – Boehm by Tucker, Lucas by Truman; Goirigolzarri by Mellott WP – Mellott PB – Martine TIME – 2:11

Black Bears 5, Dragons 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Drexel (11-23) Maine (14-18)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Mellott, 3b 1 1 0 0 Livulpi, cf 3 2 2 1

Grunenwald, 2b 4 0 2 1 Bracali, 2b 4 0 2 2

West, ss 4 0 2 1 Hambelton, 1b 4 0 1 0

DeMarco, 1b 4 0 0 0 Goirigolzarri, dh 3 0 1 1

Martine, c 3 0 0 0 Ross, lf 3 0 0 0

Boehm, dh 3 0 0 0 Drapeau, 3b 3 0 1 0

Yocum, rf 1 0 0 0 Peel, ss 3 1 2 0

Coker, cf 3 0 1 0 Genest, rf 2 1 1 1

Francis, lf 2 1 0 0 Young, rf 0 0 0 0

Harris, c 1 0 0 0

a-Ouellette 0 1 0 0

Picard, c 1 0 0 0

Totals 25 2 5 2 Totals 27 5 10 5

a-hit by pitch for Harris in the fifth

Drexel 001 000 1 – 2

Maine 000 032 x – 5

E – Francis; Peel 2B – Livulpi, Bracali, Peel HR – Genest (2) LOB – Drexel 8, Maine 7 DP – West-Grunenwald-DeMarco; Drapeau-Bracali-Hambelton, Drapeau-Bracali SB – Mellott, Coker; Bracali, Hambelton, Goirigolzarri

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Drexel

Zumbach (L,1-3) 5 2/3 9 5 5 2 3

Kulick 1/3 1 0 0 0 0

Maine

Bailin (W,3-4) 6 2/3 5 2 2 6 7

Cochran (S,4) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP – Ouellette by Zumbach WP – Zumbach; Bailin 2 TIME – 2:15 ATTENDANCE – 165