Mainer sparks Albany Olson drives in 4 runs vs. Bears

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ORONO – Nate Olson has traveled far and wide to find the right collegiate baseball fit.

Friday evening, with Division I University at Albany, Olson made a triumphant return to his home state.

The senior from Poland knocked in four runs with four singles to spark a 14-hit attack that paced the Great Danes to a 10-3 America East victory over UMaine at Mahaney Diamond.

“I’ve been all over the place, but I finally found a place I like,” said Olson, who played two years at Central Maine Community College in Auburn and spent 2005 at Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“I was excited to come back,” said Olson, who attended Poland Regional High School. “It’s great to be in front of the hometown fans and do well at the plate. It’s great to breathe Maine air.”

Coach Steve Trimper’s Bears (26-14-1, 7-4 AE) played uninspired ball behind Scott Robinson (7-3), who struggled for the first time in a month. UMaine responded with slack defense and limited offensive support.

“We played like a fifth-place team today,” said Trimper, who said his players put too much pressure on themselves. “We didn’t play very good defense; we weren’t clean tonight.”

Albany (12-27, 6-7 AE) rode the solid pitching of senior lefthander Mark Suchowiecki (4-4), who spaced seven hits, striking out eight, in eight innings.

“He had a good two-seam fastball and kept you off-balance with his curveball,” said UMaine junior Joel Barrett of Brewer. “He was hitting his spots all night. When a guy’s on like that, it’s always going to beat good hitting.”

Robinson, who had won his previous five starts, allowed five earned runs on eight hits.

“It was one of those days where it’s frustrating because you’re not getting the plays behind you and you’ve got to work through it,” Robinson said. “I didn’t do a good job of picking up my defense.”

UMaine didn’t hit in the clutch, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position through eight innings.

“We were just dead tonight,” Barrett said. “It’s one of those things where if you make this play here, catch that ball there, maybe it’s a different game.”

Sophomore shortstop Curt Smith’s status for today is questionable after he took a bad-hop single off his face in the eighth inning and left the game.

Barrett doubled and singled to pace the Bears, while Ryan Quintal singled twice (RBI). Brewer’s Kevin McAvoy added a run-scoring double.

Tom Hill, America East’s leading hitter at .410, singled three times for Albany. Steve Wyland (2 RBIs) and Sean Donovan each hit two singles.

Albany broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth. With one out, Al Barbato hit a sinking liner to right field that Mark Ostrander played into a double by trying to make a diving catch.

After a wild pitch and singles by Wyland and Hill, Robinson then walked Sean Donovan to load the bases. Olson grounded a two-run single to right. Robinson hit Steve Sayre with a pitch and walked Zac Halloran to force in another run.

Albany extended the lead to 9-2 with a three-run sixth.

The Bears erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth. Quintal popped a single to center and scored from first on McAvoy’s line-drive double to the gap in right-center.

Sean Parker made it 2-2 with a two-out single to center field.

Freshman Mitch Clegg allowed five hits and one earned run in four innings of relief.

GREAT DANES 10, BLACK BEARS 3

Albany (12-27) Maine (26-14)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Barbato, 2b 4 2 1 0 Hough, cf 4 1 0

Corvino, rf 4 1 1 0 McGraw, dh 5 0 0

Wyland, 3b 4 3 2 2 Barrett, 1b 4 0 0

Hill, c 4 2 3 1 Quintal, lf 5 1 1

Donovan, ss 4 2 2 0 Smith, ss 4 0 0

Olson, lf 5 0 4 4 Rivera, ss 1 0 0

Sayre, 1b 3 0 0 2 McAvoy, 3b 2 1 1

Halloran, dh 4 0 0 1 Menendez, 2b 3 0 0

Daniels, cf 5 0 1 0 Parker, c 3 0 1

Ostrander, rf 4 0 0 0

Totals 37 10 14 10 Totals 35 3 8 3

Albany 010 143 010 – 10

Maine 000 200 001 – 3

E-Donovan (10); Menendez (8), Ostrander (1); LOB- Albany 10; Maine 11; 2B-Barbato; Barrett, McAvoy; SF-Hill, Sayre; SB-Corvino (5), Hill (4), Daniels (7); Hough (16)

Albany IP H R ER BB SO

Suchowiecki (W,4-4) 8 7 2 2 3 8

Herrick 1 1 1 1 2 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Robinson (L,7-3) 4 2/3 8 6 5 3 3

Martin 1/3 1 2 2 0 1

Clegg 4 5 2 1 2 0

Martin pitched to two batters in the sixth

HBP-McAvoy (by Suchowiecki); Sayre (by Robinson), Barbato 2 (by Martin and Clegg); WP-Suchowiecki 2; Martin; PB-Parker; T-3:10; ATT-336