Bears earn split against Huskies Third game scheduled today

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ORONO ? One-half inning into Game 2 of Saturday’s America East baseball doubleheader, the University of Maine had already suffered a tough late-inning loss and was trailing by four runs.

As has become their trademark, the Black Bears responded with a determined comeback effort.

UMaine overcame the deficit, drubbing Northeastern starter Devin Monds, and received clutch relief pitching from Jason Weymouth to earn a 13-7 victory and gain a split at Mahaney Diamond.

The Huskies won the opener 5-2. Sunday’s scheduled nine-inning contest was postponed by rain.

“I thought it was immensely important to win [Saturday], because if you lose the second game, panic starts to set in,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos.

UMaine (28-15, 11-6 AE) goes into today’s 11:30 a.m. rubber game in third place, one game behind league leader Binghamton (12-5) and a half-game back of Northeastern (21-20, 11-5 AE).

It marked the fourth straight weekend the Bears had bounced back from a league loss with a victory.

“Whenever we lose one, we always come back and win the next and that’s a sign of a very good team,” said UMaine co-captain Greg Creek of Chelsea. “Hopefully we can win again [Monday].”

In the second game, the Bears scored five runs in the second inning and six in the fourth to gain the split. Four players knocked in two runs apiece as UMaine went 8-for-16 with 12 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

Weymouth, a sophomore from Charleston, was steady in relief. He limited NU to three hits and two runs in four innings. The crafty lefthander (2-2) retired nine of the last 11 batters he faced.

“That kid, he continues to amaze me every time he goes out there,” said Bears catcher Aaron Izaryk. “He doesn’t throw the hardest or have the best curveball or the best stuff on the team but, man, he battles.”

Northeastern scored four in the first and one in the second off Troy Martin, who was limited to three innings after having nursed a blister on his index finger. The Bears answered with five runs in the second.

With two out, Curt Smith hit a run-scoring fielder’s choice, Ray Vallee and Creek each knocked RBI singles, and Joe Hough lined a two-run double.

“We’re down 4-0 before we know it and we come back in the bottom of the second and get five runs. To me, that’s a sign of a tough team,” Kostacopoulos said.

The Huskies went ahead 7-5 against Weymouth in the fourth on Tim Bush’s two-run homer. Weymouth steadied himself and got in a groove.

“My strengths are hitting spots down low,” said the former Foxcroft Academy standout. “After I settled down I was hitting my spots a little bit better and got them to ground out or pop up.”

The offense responded, piling on six fourth-inning runs. Creek had an RBI single against Monds (2-6), who was lifted after walking in the second run of the inning. Izaryk greeted reliever Kris Dabrowiecki with a run-scoring single and Matt McGraw laced a two-run double as UMaine took an 11-7 lead.

UMaine added two runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

In Saturday’s opener, smooth righty Adam Ottavino (6-4) limited UMaine to five hits in a dominating performance. He struck out 12 and walked two, blending a sneaky fastball, a nifty changeup and a good curveball.

“He hid the ball very well,” Creek said. “He threw decently hard and he had good movement. With those three components, it’s tough to hit a guy.”

Bears starter Steve Richard also was outstanding, surrendering only three hits and a run through seven innings, but the Huskies got to closer Scott Robinson (1-1) in the eighth.

Chris Emanuele was hit by a pitch and moved up on a sacrifice and a wild pitch. One out later, Bush roped a two-run home run to left and Miguel Paquette followed with a towering solo blast to right, making it 5-1.

“That’s the life of a reliever. He’s got to have a short memory,” Kostacopoulos said.

Creek hit a solo shot with one out in the eighth, but Ottavino retired the last five batters to wrap up the win.

Barrett provided an RBI single in the sixth for UMaine.

HUSKIES 5, BLACK BEARS 2

Northeastern Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Emanuele, cf 4 1 0 0 Creek, dh 4 1 1

Sidhu, ss 4 0 2 1 Izaryk, c 3 0 0

Heriot, rf 5 0 1 0 Barrett, 1b 4 0 1

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

Paquette, 1b 4 1 1 1 Hough, cf 4 0 0

Morizio, c 3 1 1 0 Smith, 3b 4 0 0

Nutting, 2b 3 0 0 0 Cantara, rf 3 0 0

Milano, dh 4 1 2 1 Ostrander, rf 0 0 0

Lyon, lf 2 0 0 0 Ferriggi, 2b 2 0 0

Vallee, ss 3 1 1 0

Totals 33 5 9 5 Totals 31 2 5 2

Northeastern 000 000 131 ? 5

Maine 000 001 010 ? 2

LOB?NU 7; Maine 4; 2B?Hough; HR?Bush (8), Paquette (3); DP?Paquette-Sidhu-Ottavino; S?Sidhu, Lyon; SB?Vallee (2)

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Ottavino (W,6-4) 9 5 2 2 2 12

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Richard 7 3 1 1 3 6

Robinson (L,1-1) 1 3 3 3 0 2

Brown 1 3 1 1 0 0

HBP?Emanuele by Robinson; WP?Ottavino; PB?Morizio 2; T?2:33

BLACK BEARS 13, HUSKIES 7

Northeastern (21-20) Maine (28-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Emanuele, cf 4 1 3 0 Creek, dh 4 3 2

Sidhu, ss 4 1 0 0 Hough, cf 4 1 2

Heriot, rf 4 1 1 0 Barrett, 1b 3 1 0

Bush, 3b 4 2 2 3 Quintal, lf 1 2 2

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

Morizio, c 3 1 0 0 Smith, 3b 4 2 2

Milano, dh 4 0 1 1 McGraw, rf 4 0 2

Nutting, 2b 3 0 2 2 Ostrander, rf 0 0 0

Lyon, lf 0 0 0 0 Ferriggi, 2b 3 2 0

Vallee, ss 3 2 2 1

Totals 31 7 9 6 Totals 29 13 10 12

Northeastern 401 200 0 ? 7

Maine 050 620 x ? 13

E?Dabrowiecki (2), Sidhu (5); Smith (12); LOB?NU 6; Maine 4; 2B?Heriot; Hough, Ferriggi, McGraw; HR?Bush (9); SF?Quinntal; SB?Emanuele (16), Milano (3)

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Monds (L,2-6) 3.1 7 10 10 5 1

Dabrowiecki 2.2 3 3 1 0 0

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Martin 3 6 5 2 2 1

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

WP?Martin; T?2:13; ATT?511