Maine rebounds for Sunday win Coach: Saturday loss ‘worst game’

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ORONO – The University of Maine baseball team had its resolve challenged Sunday afternoon.

The Black Bears, coming off Saturday’s lopsided loss to New York Tech, found themselves trailing by six runs after making three errors two innings into Sunday’s series finale.

Maintaining confidence in its offensive ability, coach Steve Trimper’s team demonstrated its character, coming from behind three times to pull out a 13-12 victory at Mahaney Diamond.

New York Tech cruised to a 13-5 victory in Saturday’s game.

UMaine (22-11-1) averted an emotional letdown Sunday while rallying to take the rubber game of the nonleague series against the New York Tech Bears (19-14).

“It wasn’t a clean victory at all – three errors and stuff like that – but I think this one really showed our team’s character,” said UMaine senior co-captain Ryan Quintal, who knocked in four runs with a home run and two singles.

“The fact we took two out of three, I’m happy with it,” he added. “We had a rough one [Saturday], but it’s good that we bounced back.”

Despite pitching struggles, spotty defense and some offensive inconsistency, UMaine demonstrated resiliency behind its high-powered offense. The Black Bears matched NYIT’s effort with 15 hits, including a handful of clutch ones.

“We just had a slugfest,” said UMaine senior Joe Hough, who stroked a double and three singles with two RBIs. “It was nice to get a win out of that, especially when we were down 6-0. It was looking pretty grim. It was an ugly win, but we know our offense can score.”

Senior Troy Martin (5-4) allowed two runs over the final three innings and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn the win.

Bobby Brown, Danny Menendez and Mark Ostrander, the Nos. 7-8-9 batters, accounted for six hits, seven runs scored and two RBIs to help the Bears complete their comeback.

The hosts finally took the lead for good in the seventh. Reliever John Eichorn (2-1) hit Sean Parker and Joel Barrett with consecutive pitches, then surrendered Quintal’s hedge-trimming, line-drive homer to right field that made it 13-11.

“I got ahead in the count 2-1 – he was throwing sliders – and he actually threw a fastball down and away,” Quintal said. “I just stayed back on it, put good wood on it and the wind helped me out a little bit.”

New York Tech, which stranded two runners in the eighth, made a bid in the ninth after two were out. Andrew Karkoulas singled to center, then Mike MacMillan laid down a bunt single.

After a passed ball and a walk loaded the bases, David Johnson plated a run with an infield single off Martin’s glove. Martin then induced a game-ending fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop Curt Smith near second base.

“We need Troy down the stretch,” Trimper said. “He got the win out of it and I thought he deserved to be out there, as a senior, to finish that up.”

UMaine had tied it 8-8 with two runs in the fifth on Brown’s majestic leadoff home run and a sacrifice fly by Joel Barrett.

NYIT retaliated with two runs in the sixth, but the hosts answered with two in the same inning to make it 10-10. Menendez lined a two-out RBI triple off the fence in right-center, then scored on an error.

“I think the biggest hit of the game was Danny Menendez’s triple,” Trimper said. “That was a momentum-killer for them.”

NYIT went back on top briefly on MacMillan’s sacrifice fly in the seventh, but Quintal’s homer gave the Bears all the runs they would need.

MacMillan doubled and singled with two RBIs to lead the visitors.

In Saturday’s game, New York Tech snapped a 0-0 tie with an eight-run, fifth-inning outburst on its way to a convincing victory.

Mike LaLuna hit two singles with two RBIs and scored twice in the inning as NYIT chased starter Mike Powers (1-1).

Righthander Joe Esposito (3-2) held UMaine to five hits and one earned run through seven innings, throwing 148 pitches. He used a good slider to help hold the Black Bears at bay.

“They’re disciplined. They’re good hitters,” said Esposito, who struck out nine, walked six and hit two batters. “Mainly I was just trying to throw strikes, get ahead of them.”

Kraig Binick and Bryan Pastor each rapped a double and two singles with two RBIs to spearhead NYIT’s 16-hit attack.

Smith tripled, singled and knocked in two runs for UMaine, which went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Menendez doubled and singled while Parker singled twice.

“Baseball’s a humbling game and that’s possibly the worst game we’ve played all year,” Trimper said. “Esposito was good but, earlier on, he was wild and we left the bases loaded twice and didn’t get a guy in with one out.”

BEARS 13, BLACK BEARS 5

(Saturday’s Game)

New York Tech Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Binick, cf 5 1 3 2 Hough, cf 5 1 1

Karkoulas, rf 5 2 2 1 McGraw, dh 2 0

MacMillan, dh 6 0 2 2 Barrett, 1b 5 0

Pastor, 2b 5 1 3 2 Quintal, lf 3 0 0

D. Johnson, 1b 5 1 0 1 Smith, ss 3 2

Murray, lf 5 1 1 0 McAvoy, 3b 4 0 1

Garland, lf 0 0 0 0 Menendez, 2b 5 0 0

Kenefick, c 4 1 0 1 Parker, c 4 0 0

LaLuna, ss 4 4 3 2 Brown, ph 0 0 0

Neill, 3b 4 2 2 1 Cather, rf 3 0 0

Ostrander, rf 1 1 0 0

Totals 43 13 16 12 Totals 35 5 9 4

New York Tech 000 081 202 – 13

Maine 000 000 221 – 5

E-LaLuna 2 (10); McAvoy (15); LOB-NYIT 10, Maine 13; 2B-Binick, Pastor; Hough, Smith, Menendez; 3B-Smith; SF-Binick; SB-Karkoulas (15), Kenefick (4), LaLuna (6); McGraw (8), Parker (2), Ostrander (3)

NYIT IP H R ER BB SO

Esposito (W,3-2) 7 5 2 1 6 9

Sonnenberg 2 4 3 2 2 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Powers (L,1-1) 4 1/3 5 6 2 4 3

Martin 1 4 3 1 1 0

Weymouth 1 2/3 3 2 2 1 1

Mendoza 1 0 0 0 0 0

Moran 1 4 2 2 0 1

HBP-McGraw, Quintal by Esposito; WP-Powers 2, Moran; PB-Parker; T-3:08; ATT-468

BLACK BEARS 13, BEARS 12

(Sunday’s Game)

New York Tech (19-14) Maine (22-11-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Binick, cf 5 2 2 1 Hough, cf 6 2 2

Karkoulas, rf 2 3 2 1 McGraw, c 1 1

MacMillan, ss 5 1 2 2 Parker, c 1 0

Esposito, dh 5 0 1 1 Barrett, dh 2 1 2

Neill, pr 0 0 0 0 Quintal, lf 5 1 4

D. Johnson, 1b 5 1 1 1 Cather, lf 0 0

Murray, lf 5 2 2 1 Smith, ss 3 0 0

Peralta, 2b 2 0 0 0 McAvoy, 3b 5 0 0

Pastor, 2b 1 0 1 0 Brown, 1b 4 3 1

LaLuna, 3b 5 1 2 1 Menendez, 2b 4 3 1

Kenefick, c 4 2 2 0 Ostrander, rf 3 1 0

Totals 39 12 15 8 Totals 34 13 15 11

New York Tech 330 112 101 – 12

Maine 002 422 30x – 13

E-Pastor (4); Smith 2 (15); LOB-NYIT 12, Maine 9; 2B-MacMillan, Esposito; Hough; 3B-Menendez; HR-Quintal (6), Brown (3); DP- MacMillan-Pastor-Johnson; S-McGraw; SF-Binick, Karkoulas, MacMillan; Barrett; SB-Binick (21), Karkoulas (16), LaLuna (7), Kenefick (5); Quintal (4)

NYIT IP H R ER BB SO

Perez 3 1/3 8 6 6 2 1

E. Johnson 2/3 2 2 2 3 0

Eichorn (L,2-1) 2 3 5 4 1 2

Striker 1 1 0 0 0 1

McDevitt 1 1 0 0 0 0

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Boike 1 3 5 3 2 1

Balsinde 3 5 3 2 1 2

Zyskowski 2 3 2 2 2 1

Martin (W,5-4) 3 4 2 2 3 2

HBP-McGraw, Barrett by Perez, Parker, Barrett by Eichorn; Pastor by Martin; WP-Perez, E. Johnson, Eichorn 2; Balsinde, Zyskowski, Martin; PB-Kenefick; Parker; T-3:42; ATT-283