Ross helps Black Bears salvage split Maine pitchers struggle against New York Tech

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OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Senior captain Mike Ross knocked in five runs with a three-run home run, a run-scoring double and an RBI single during Saturday’s first game, helping the University of Maine split a non-league baseball doubleheader against New York Tech at Presidents Field.

The Black Bears rallied to win the first game 9-8 in eight innings, but the host Bears bounced back for an 8-3 victory in the nightcap.

Ross led the charge for 11-7 UMaine in the opener, smacking a three-run homer in the first, stroking an RBI double in the fifth and adding a game-tying RBI single in the sixth.

Starter Mike MacDonald of Camden allowed nine hits and seven runs in four innings, but junior Adam Labelle (2-1) surrendered only one run and four hits in a strong four-inning relief stint to pick up the win.

Alain Picard rapped two doubles for the Black Bears while Pat Tobin (1 RBI) and Mike Livulpi contributed two singles each.

Garret McDevitt collected three singles for New York Tech, while Brian Goldberg and Tom Merkle each provided two singles and two RBIs.

UMaine scored the winning run in the eighth when Simon Williams led off with a walk and eventually scored on a Brett Ouellette groundout.

UMaine had bolted to a 4-0 lead in the first inning behind Ross’ three-run shot. NY Tech tallied two runs in the fourth, but the Black Bears countered with three in the fifth.

Picard and Ross doubled to account for the first run, then Tobin plated a run with a single and Joe Drapeau of Biddeford delivered a sacrifice fly.

NY Tech regained the lead with a six-run uprising in the fifth that included six hits and a UMaine error, but the Black Bears tied it in the sixth on an RBI single by Ross.

In Game 2, UMaine managed nine hits but could not string many of them together. The hosts scored two runs in each of the first two innings, touching up Black Bears starter Paul Bruder for seven hits.

New York Tech extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Goelz and Mike Gaffney off reliever Scott Robinson.

Jesse Carlton cranked a solo home run for UMaine in the sixth and also singled. Reichley doubled and singled while Drapeau added two singles.

Goelz also singled twice for the winners, while Merkle knocked in three runs with a double and a single. Anthony St. George also double and singled.

Kevin Perrucci scattered eight hits over six innings to earn the victory for the Bears.

UMaine heads back on the road next weekend for Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y.

BEARS 8, BLACK BEARS 3

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Maine (11-7) New York Tech (14-8)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 3 0 1 1 Goelz, cf 3 3 1

Ouellette, 2b 4 0 1 0 Gaffney, ss 3 1

Picard, dh 4 0 1 1 Goldberg, lf 3 1 2

Ross, lf-rf 3 0 0 0 Merkle, 3b 4 1 3

Drapeau, c 4 0 2 0 St. George, dh 4 0 1

Reynolds, 3b 4 0 0 0 Almonte, p 0 0 0

Carlton, 1b 3 2 2 1 Arnold, 2b 3 0 0

Reichley, ss 3 1 2 0 Karkoulas, rf 3 0 0

Young, rf 2 0 0 0 Galea, c 3 0 0

Williams, lf 0 0 0 0 Kearney, 1b 2 1 0

Mundy, rf 0 1 0 0

Perrucci, p-1b 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 3 9 3 Totals 28 8 12 8

Maine 001 011 0 ? 3

NY Tech 220 202 x ? 8

E?Reichley (8); LOB?Maine 9, NY Tech 6; 2B?Reichley; Goldberg, Merkle, St. George; HR?Carlton (5); Goelz (4), Gaffney (1); DP?Maine; S?Goelz, Gaffney; SB?Goelz (7)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Bruder (L,1-1) 2 7 4 4 0 0

Robinson 2 1/3 4 2 2 0 0

Harris 1 2/3 1 2 2 2 0

NY Tech IP H R ER BB SO

Perrucci (W,1-0) 6 8 3 3 3 2

Almonte 1 1 0 0 0 1

WP?Bruder; T?1:55; ATT?147

BLACK BEARS 9, BEARS 8

(Saturday’s First Game, 8 innings)

Maine (11-6) New York Tech (13-8)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 3 1 2 0 Goelz, cf 5 1 1

Ouellette, dh-2b 4 1 1 2 Gaffney, ss 3 0

Picard, c 5 2 2 0 Goldberg, lf 4 2 2

Ross, rf 5 2 3 5 Merkle, 3b 4 1 2

Tobin, 1b 4 1 2 1 Perrucci, 1b 4 0 1

Reynolds, 2b 3 0 0 0 Arnold, 2b 4 0 1

Ferriggi, 2b 0 0 0 0 St. George, dh 4 0 1

a-Carlton 0 0 0 0 McDevitt, c 4 1 0

b-Saunders 0 0 0 0 c-Mundy 0 0 0 0

Drapeau, 3b 3 0 1 1 Karkoulas, rf 4 1 0

Reichley, ss 4 0 0 0

Williams, lf 1 2 0 0

Totals 32 9 11 9 Totals 36 8 13 8

a-walked for Ferriggi; b-ran for Carlton; c-ran for McDevitt

Maine 400 031 01 ? 9

NY Tech 000 260 00 ? 8

E?Ross (2), Drapeau (4); LOB?Maine 7, NY Tech 5; 2B?Picard 2, Ross; St. George; HR?Ross (5); SF?Drapeau; SB?Livulpi 3 (7), Williams 2 (9); Gaffney (4)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

MacDonald 4 9 7 7 1 5

Labelle (W,2-1) 4 4 1 1 0 0

NY Tech IP H R ER BB SO

Patten 3 1/3 7 4 4 2 2

Gillespie 1 2/3 3 3 3 0 0

Seder 1 1 1 1 2 1

Britton (L,2-1) 1 1/3 0 1 1 3 0

Almonte 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

WP?Patten 2, Seder; T?2:50