Black Bears sweep Northeastern Maine jumps into America East play with four wins on the road

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BROOKLINE, Mass. – The University of Maine had built a reputation this season as a team destined to rely heavily on its offense to win.

But there’s more to the Black Bears, who received steady pitching and outstanding defense over the weekend while posting a four-game America East sweep of Northeastern at Friedman Diamond.

UMaine limited the Huskies to a single run Sunday as Rich Laganiere shut out the Huskies 7-0 before Paul Bruder and Adam Labelle combined on a 2-1 win in the nightcap to complete the Bears’ first four-game sweep of Northeastern since 1993.

UMaine swept Saturday’s twinbill 6-4 and 3-2 behind Alain Picard, who belted game-winning home runs in both games, going 6-for-8 on the day.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ Bears improved to 19-7 with some clutch all-around play.

“We came down and took four,” said UMaine second baseman Brett Ouellette, who teamed with freshman shortstop Mike Ferriggi to turn five double plays Sunday. “It’s always good to beat them, because we know we’re going to see them again in the playoffs.”

In Sunday’s tense second game, Adam Labelle struck out Luke Carlin with the potential tying run on third in the seventh to preserve the win. Paul Bruder (3-1), aided by three DPs, blanked NU until Nick Graves led off the seventh with a home run to left.

“I trust my teammates, so there’s really not that much pressure involved,” said Labelle, who allowed a bunt single, a sacrifice bunt and induced a groundout before fanning Carlin on a slider. “[The coaching staff] told me earlier this week that I’d probably be coming out of the pen, so I geared up for an occasion such as today.”

UMaine scored its runs in the third inning when Mike Livulpi doubled to left and scored when Ouellette reached on an error. One out later, Joe Drapeau provided a sacrifice fly.

“When it’s your 23rd through 26th games on the road in a row and you sweep, it’s only positive,” Kostacopoulos said. “We’re finding our identiy a little bit, which is good.”

Ouellette and Ferriggi were superb, keeping Bruder (four walks, two hit batsmen) and the Bears out of trouble. Ferriggi started for Mark Reichley, who sat out with a bruised thigh.

“We’ve been getting a lot of extra ground balls and working together,” Ouellette said. “Playing on this [artificial] surface makes it easier, too.”

Livulpi doubled and singled and Matt Reynolds singled twice for the Bears. Colin Gaynor singled twice for the Huskies.

In Sunday’s opener, Rich Laganiere spread out six singles in pitching his first seven-inning complete game in a UMaine uniform. The sophomore lefthander struck out five and walked two, spotting a hard fastball on the corners and mixing in an effective changeup.

Laganiere, who 19 months ago had Tommy John ligament surgery on his left elbow, was pleased with the effort.

“It took me like a year and three-quarters until I first stepped on the mound in a game,” said Laganiere, who had good control.

“That’s been my downfall, until today, was walks,” he said. “Today I kept the ball down and got the ‘W.’ I was able to work to both sides [of the plate], which was a great thing.”

NU’s Ken Henry took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but hit a batter and walked three others to force in the first run. Ouellette broke up the no-hit bid with a two-run double to left, then Picard carved a two-run double to left.

“A couple balls squeaked down the line, bounced the right way, but we turned them into five runs,” Kostacopoulos said.

Drapeau doubled and singled to lead the Bears. Ben Beck singled twice for the hosts.

In Saturday’s opener, the Bears scored four two-out runs in the fourth inning and rode a gutsy pitching performance by Mike Collar (4-1) to victory. The sophomore righthander from Scarborough allowed 12 hits, but pitched his way out of trouble.

“There’s a reason why he’s 12-1 [in his career] here,” Kostacopoulos said. “He can win when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He just hung around.”

UMaine broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fourth when Ouellette lined a two-run-opposite-field double to right-center. Picard then yanked a two-run homer to right, making it 5-1. The junior catcher, who has a shoulder injury, was a late addition to the lineup as the designated hitter.

“It hurts a little bit, but not enough to keep me out of the game,” said Picard, who hurt himself lifting weights. “Everything looked like a beach ball. It was coming in like in slow-motion today.”

Northeastern scored three times in the bottom of the inning on Graves’ three-run homer to left, but Bears added a run in the fifth on Aaron Izaryk’s opposite-field single to right.

Collar shut out NU the rest of the way, extracating himself from a two-on, nobody-out situation in the seventh.

“Today he decided to gut it out,” Picard said. “He’s strong mentally.”

Picard led UMaine with the homer and two singles. Simon Williams tripled and singled while Ouellette doubled and singled.

“Alain was super for us all day, for a guy who was not playing at breakfast today,” Kostacopoulos said of the ailing Picard. “He hit the ball well in BP, so we put him in at DH.”

Carlin and Gaynor singled three times each for the Huskies.

In Saturday’s second game, sophomore righty Mike MacDonald of Camden pitched a five-hitter as the Bears completed the sweep. MacDonald (3-1) struggled with his curveball early, but spotted his fastball well and maneuvered around three UMaine errors.

“I worked hard with coach [Scott] Friedholm during the week, came out and just threw the ball well,” MacDonald said. “It was just getting relaxed and knowing that you don’t have to strike everyone out.”

UMaine took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Picard and Drapeau and Williams’ double-play grounder. Picard launched a solo homer over the right-field stands in the fifth to provide the winning margin.

NU scored once in the fourth, then cut the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth on Carlin’s leadoff homer to right, but MacDonald retired six of the last seven batters.

“What made Mike’s performance even more special was he overcame our ineptitude in the field,” Kostacopoulos said. “We asked him to compete and if something bad happens, overcome it. He did that all day.”

Picard’s home run and two doubles sparked the Bears, while Drapeau doubled and singled. Izaryk singled twice.

Carlin’s homer and two singles paced NU.

BLACK BEARS 6, HUSKIES 4

(Saturday’s First Game)

Maine (16-7) Northeastern (12-7)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 4 1 1 0 Czarnowski, cf 4 0 0

Young, cf 0 0 0 0 Pena, ss 4 0 1

Ouellette, 2b 4 1 2 2 Carlin, c 3 0

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

Drapeau, 3b 4 0 1 1 Paquette, dh 4 0 0

Ross, rf 4 1 1 0 Gaynor, 1b 3 1 0

Carlton, 1b 3 0 0 0 Heriot, pr 0 0 0

Tobin, ph/1b 1 0 0 0 Hagstrom, 2b 4 1 0

Williams, lf 3 0 2 0 Graves, 3b 3 1 3

Izaryk, c 3 0 1 1 Steinberg, rf 4 1 0

Ferriggi, ss 3 2 1 0

Totals 33 6 12 6 Totals 33 4 11 4

Maine 001 410 0 ? 6 12 1

Northeastern 001 300 0 ? 4 11 1

E?Collar; LOB?Maine 6, Northeastern 1; 2B?Ouellette (3); Paquette, Steinberg; 3B?Willams; HR?Picard (2); Graves; DP?Gaynor (unassisted)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Collar (W, 4-1) 7.0 11 4 4 2 3

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Thomson (L, 3-2) 7.0 12 6 6 0 8

HBP?by Collar (Graves); T? 2:03; ATT? 90

BLACK BEARS 3, HUSKIES 2

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Maine (17-7) Northeastern (12-8)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 3 0 1 0 Czarnowski, cf 4 0 0

Ouellette, 2b 2 0 0 0 Pena, ss 3 0

Reynolds, 2b 1 0 1 0 Carlin, c 3 2 1

Picard, dh 4 2 3 1 Paquette, dh 2 0 0

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

Ross, rf 3 0 1 0 Beck, lf 3 0 0

Young, rf 0 0 0 0 Hagstrom, 2b 3 0 0

Williams, lf 2 0 0 0 Graves, 3b 3 0 0

Izaryk, c 3 0 2 0 Steinberg, rf 3 0 0

Tobin, 1b 2 0 0 0

Ferriggi, ss 3 0 1 0

Totals 27 3 11 2 Totals 26 2 5 2

Maine 000 210 0 ? 3 11 3

Northeastern 000 101 0 ? 2 5 0

E?Ouellette 2, Drapeau; LOB?Maine 7, Northeastern 5; 2B?Picard 2, Drapeau 2; Graves; HR?Picard (3); Carlin (3); DP?Ferriggi-Ouellette-Tobin; Pena-Hagstrom-Gaynor 2; SB?Carlin (7)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

MacDonald (W, 3-1) 7.0 5 2 2 1 3

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Ryan 4.2 8 3 3 2 2

Piryk 2.1 3 0 0 1 1

HBP?by Piryk (Williams); T?2:04; ATT?90

BLACK BEARS 7, HUSKIES 0

(Sunday’s first game)

Maine (18-7) Northeastern (12-9)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 2 1 0 1 Steinberg, rf 3 0 0

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

Reynolds, 2b 0 0 0 0 Carlin, c 3 0 0

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

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

Ross, rf 4 0 0 0 Paquette, dh 1 0 0

Young, rf 0 0 0 0 Ryan, ph 1 0 0

Williams, lf 4 0 1 1 Graves, 3b 2 0 0

Izaryk, c 3 1 1 0 Hagstrom, 2b 3 0 0

Carlton, 1b 1 0 0 0 Czarnowski, cf 3 0 0

Saunders, pr 0 1 0 0

Tobin, 1b 2 0 0 0

Ferriggi, ss 2 1 0 0

Totals 30 7 6 7 Totals 25 0 6 0

Maine 000 050 2 ? 7 6 1

Northeastern 000 000 0 ? 0 6 4

E? Drapeau; Steinberg 2, Pena, Hagstrom; LOB ? Maine 7; Northeastern 6; 2B? Ouellette, Picard, Drapeau, Williams; DP? Maine, Ferriggi-Ouellette-Carlton 2; SB? Drapeau (1)

Visitor IP H R ER BB SO

Laganiere (W, 4-2) 7.0 6 0 0 2 5

Home IP H R ER BB SO

Henry (L, 3-2) 6.0 4 5 1 0 1

Madison 1.0 2 2 1 0 1

HBP? Carlton (by Henry); T? 1:53; ATT? 228

BLACK BEARS 2, NORTHEASTERN 1

(Sunday’s second game)

Maine (19-7) Northeastern (12-10)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 4 1 2 0 Czarnowski, cf 3 0 0

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

Picard, dh 3 0 1 0 Carlin, c 2 0 0

Drapeau, c 3 0 0 1 Paquette, dh 3 0 0

Ross, rf 3 0 0 0 Beck, lf 2 0 0

Young, rf 0 0 0 0 Gaynor, 1b 2 0 0

Williams, lf 3 0 1 0 Hagstrom, 2b 2 0 0

Reynolds, 3b 3 0 2 0 Graves, 3b 3 1 1

Carlton, 1b 3 0 1 0 Heriot, rf 3 0 0

Ferriggi, ss 3 0 0 0

Totals 29 2 7 1 Totals 23 1 6 1

Maine 002 000 0 ? 2 7 0

Northeastern 000 000 1 ? 1 6 1

E?Gaynor; LOB?Maine 8; Northeastern 8; 2B?Livulpi, Picard, Carlton; HR?Graves (4); DP?Ferriggi-Ouellette-Carlton 3; SB?Williams (11)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Bruder (W, 3-1) 6.0 5 1 1 4 1

Labelle (S, 2) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Monds (L, 1-1) 7.0 7 2 0 0 6

HBP?Penda (by Bruder), Gaynor (by Bruder), Picard (by Monds); WP?Monds; T?1:53; ATT?228