Bears take advantage of errors UM races past Husson

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ORONO – If there is one thing the Husson College Braves couldn’t afford in their baseball game against the University of Maine Wednesday night, it was to give the Bears extra outs.

The Braves committed five two-out errors in the fifth inning leading to five unearned runs that sent the Bears on their way to an 11-2 victory at Mahaney Diamond.

Maine is now 23-10 while Husson fell to 17-13. The two teams play again today at 3:30 p.m. at the John Winkin Baseball Complex in Bangor.

Maine is now 46-2 against the Braves.

A potential inning-ending line drive off the bat of Black Bear center fielder Mike Livulpi glanced off the glove of Husson first baseman Craig Harvey to start the decisive fifth-inning rally.

The speedy Livulpi moved to second on a wild pitch, continued to third on an error, and alertly scored on another wild pitch as he slid across safely on a ball that squirted 6 feet to the right of catcher Jason Folsom.

Brett Ouellette walked and Aaron Izaryk grounded a single to center before Joe Drapeau walked to load the bases.

Alain Picard grounded a two-run single to center to give Maine the lead for good.

“They had been pitching me away the whole game. So I just stayed back. He threw me something on the outside and I hit it,” said Picard. “I seem to be lucky in two-out situations. I either get a hit or reach on an error or something.”

Aaron Young walked, and Paul Klink was summoned to replace starter Mike Cowperthwaite.

Simon Williams hit a come-backer to Klink, but the Braves pitcher bobbled it and then bounced his throw past first baseman Harvey, allowing the final two runs to score. Klink was assessed two errors on the play.

Maine scored two more runs in the sixth after the first two hitters were retired. Livulpi walked, Ouellette was hit by a pitch, and Izaryk ripped a two-run double to right-center.

Bucksport’s Pete Saunders extended the lead in the seventh with a two-run homer to left. It was the second of the junior’s career and both have come at the expense of the Braves.

Izaryk singled home an eighth-inning run to cap his four-hit game.

“[Assistant] Coach [Mike] Hubbard has been working with me on seeing the pitch a little longer,” said Izaryk, whose patience certainly paid off.

“I’ve hit one day and haven’t hit another. I’ve been too inconsistent,” said Izaryk. “It was nice to see pitches and hit them like I did tonight.”

Maine had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first with an unearned run as Livulpi reached on second baseman Shawn Henderson’s error and scored on Izaryk’s opposite-field double to left.

But the Braves reached Maine starter and winner Sam Warner for two runs in the third.

Chris McInnis walked to open the inning and Jason Harvey pulled an RBI double to left to tie the game. Josh Ferguson walked and Folsom grounded a single to center to deliver Harvey.

Cowperthwaite, a sophomore from Prospect Harbor, pitched well for Husson until his defense fell apart in the fifth.

All six runs off him were unearned. He struck out three and walked three and allowed seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.

“That’s the best he has ever pitched for us,” said Husson coach John Kolasinski. “The errors killed us. You can’t give a team like that extra outs.”

Picard and Izaryk both praised Cowperthwaite.

“All three of his pitches were working and you don’t see many pitchers with three good pitches,” said Izaryk. “He kept us off-balance and got ahead of us in the count.”

Cowperthwaite featured a fastball, curve, and changeup with an occasional slider, also.

Picard finished with two hits and two RBIs to complement Izaryk’s four-hit, three-RBI game.

Jason Harvey had a double and a single for Husson.

BLACK BEARS 11, BRAVES 2

Husson (17-13) Maine (23-10)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

J. Harvey, ss 4 1 2 1 Livulpi, cf 3 0

Ferguson, 1b 2 0 0 0 Houser,lf 1 1 0

Folsom, c 3 0 1 1 Ouellette, 2b 3 2 0

C. Harvey, 1b 3 0 0 0 Izaryk, c 5 3

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

Laprino, lf 4 0 0 0 Picard, dh 4 1 2

Creek, dh 4 0 0 0 Tobin, dh 1 0 0

McInnis, cf 1 1 0 0 Young, rf 1 1 0

b-Potvin 1 0 0 0 a-Quintal 0 0 0

Henderson, 2b 4 0 0 0 Hough, rf 0 0

Williams, lf 3 0 1 0

Saunders, lf 2 1 1 1

Carlton, 1b 4 0 0 0

Reichley, ss 3 0 0 0

Gambale, ss 1 0 0 0

Totals 29 2 4 2 Totals 35 11 12 7

a-walked for Young in the 8th; b-flied out for McInnis in the 9th

Husson 002 000 000 ? 2

Maine 100 052 21x ? 11

E?Folsom, C. Harvey, McInnis, Henderson, Klink 2; Ouellette; LOB?Husson 7; Maine 8; 2B?J. Harvey; Houser, Izaryk 2, Drapeau, Williams; HR?Saunders (1); DP?Ferguson-Henderson-C. Harvey; S?Young; SB?C. Harvey; Livulpi 2

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

Cowperthwaite (L,0-4) 4 2/3 7 6 0 3 3

Klink 1 2/3 2 4 4 2 0

Green 1 2/3 3 1 1 1 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Warner (W,3-0) 5 3 2 2 5 3

Labelle 2 1 0 0 0 4

Rogers 2 0 0 0 2 3

HBP?Ouellette by Klink; WP?Cowperthwaite 2; T?2:25; ATT?79