Barrett boosts UM past Braves Bears win home opener

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ORONO – When asked what stood out about Wednesday’s baseball game between the University of Maine and Husson College, Black Bears coach Paul Kostacopoulos tipped his cap to the opposition.

“They came out competitively and played,” Kostacopoulos said of the Division III Braves from Bangor, who are prohibitive underdogs whenever they face the Division I Bears. “They hit the ball, they ran the bases. They really played well tonight.”

Coach John Winkin’s Husson squad unleashed a 14-hit attack against five different pitchers, but UMaine responded with 14 hits of its own on the way to a 16-11 victory in front of 357 fans at chilly Mahaney Diamond.

Freshman Joel Barrett of Brewer went 5-for-5 with a double, a triple and four RBIs in his Orono debut for UMaine, which improved to 18-15 while playing at home for the first time this season.

“It was good because the atmosphere that we played in was just great,” said Barrett, who paced the Bears with an RBI triple in the first inning, a run-scoring single in the second, an RBI double in the fourth, and singles in the sixth and seventh. He also scored three times.

“It’s good to have the crowd going a little bit and the music going a little bit,” added Barrett, who said the key to his night was “not trying to do too much, not trying to hit the ball out of the park, just trying to get singles up the middle and working the ball where it’s pitched.”

UMaine has won four of its last five games while Husson slipped to 19-9.

Joe Hough legged out two triples and a single with an RBI and two runs scored for the Bears, while Ryan Quintal slammed a two-run home run and a run-producing single.

“To get games in [during] the week is a big plus, especially when they’re home,” Hough said. “It gives us a lot of confidence hitting-wise.”

Josh Ferguson led the way for Husson with a double, three singles and four RBIs. Brewer’s Justin Spencer stroked four singles, while Scott Flannery of Danforth doubled and singled.

UMaine, playing its fifth game in five days, gave some of its lesser-used pitchers some work. None was outstanding, but sophomore Sam Warner (1-1) gave up only two earned runs in three innings of middle relief to get the win.

The Bears pulled out to a 7-0 lead through two innings, with Barrett’s two-run single highlighting a five-run second. The Braves rallied to take an 8-7 advantage with six runs in the third and two in the fourth.

Ferguson scorched a two-run single in the third for Husson, which took advantage of an error and two wild pitches in the inning. Kyle Mathieu’s two-run single gave the Braves the lead in the fourth.

UMaine bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the inning off loser Mike Cowperthwaite (5-2) of Prospect Harbor to take the lead for good. Barrett had an RBI double and Quintal lined a two-run shot to right during the key rally.

“Give our kids credit. We’re up six or seven runs and it looks like it’s going to be a ho-hum night, and then we’re down by a run,” said Kostacopoulos, who liked the way the Bears kept battling and scoring.

“Both teams, offensively, were very impressive.”

Husson got within 12-10 in the sixth, but UMaine answered with three runs to re-establish a five-run advantage.

The Bears committed an uncharacteristic four errors and the Braves had three.

BLACK BEARS 16, BRAVES 11

Husson (19-9) Maine (18-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Spencer, cf 6 2 4 0 Williams, cf 3 3 0

Sheehan, ss 6 2 0 0 Izaryk, c 3 2 2

Ferguson, 3b 6 4 4 3 Creek, 3b 4 2 2

Folsom, c 5 1 1 1 Barrett, 1b 5 3 4

Mathieu, 1b 3 0 1 2 Quintal, lf 4 1 3

a-Sargent 0 0 0 0 McGraw, dh 4 1 0

Malone, 1b 0 0 0 0 Hough, rf 5 2 2

McInnis, rf 4 0 1 1 Reichley, 3b 3 1 1

Estes, dh 2 0 1 1 Ferriggi, 2b 1 0 1

Kane, dh 2 0 0 0 Harvey, ss 5 1 0

Ouellette, dh 1 0 0 0

Henderson, 2b 4 1 0 0

Flannery, lf 4 1 2 0

Totals 43 11 14 8 Totals 37 16 14 15

a-ran for Mathieu in the 8th

Husson 006 202 010 ? 11

Maine 250 413 10x ? 16

E?Spencer, Mathieu, Cowperthwaite; Reichley, Harvey 2, Harris; LOB?Husson 11, Maine 5; 2B?Ferguson, Flannery; Creek, Barrett; 3B?Barrett, Hough 2; HR?Quintal (3); DP?Harvey-Barrett; S?McGraw; SF?Mathieu; Izaryk, Creek, Ferriggi; SB?Williams 2 (17)

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

Cowperthwaite (L,5-2) 4 11 11 10 1 6

Tripp 3 3 5 4 2 3

Gray 1 0 0 0 0 0

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Harris 2 3 4 3 1 3

Bishop 1 2 2 0 1 1

Warner (W,1-1) 3 4 4 2 1 2

Richard 1 2 0 0 0 1

Robinson 2 3 1 1 2 3

Harris faced four batters in the 3rd

HBP?Williams by Cowperthwaite, McGraw by Tripp; WP?Cowperthwaite, Tripp; Bishop 2, Robinson 2; PB?Folsom 2; T?3:01; ATT?357