UM salvages Sunday split vs. Hawks Bears battling to find consistency

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ORONO – If the University of Maine is going to challenge for the America East baseball title again this spring, it’s going to need Troy Martin to pitch well down the stretch.

The senior righthander turned in a steady performance Sunday, helping the Black Bears bounce back to beat Hartford 8-6 and salvage a split of their conference doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond.

The Hawks took Sunday’s opener 11-5 after the Bears had pounded Hartford 20-4 in Saturday’s contest. The two teams meet again today at 1 p.m.

UMaine (29-17-1, 10-7 AE) continues to struggle with overall consistency, but found some stability behind Martin.

“The second game today was a real gut check for us in the sense that we had the good win, we had the bad loss and now how do we come back,” said junior Matt McGraw. “I felt everything was clicking today in terms of team chemistry.”

Martin (6-4), making his first start since April 1, gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. A bad-hop single in the fifth eventually led to a three-run home run by Chris Hebert that spelled Martin’s exit.

“Troy was really one pitch away from winning 8-3,” said UMaine coach Steve Trimper. “It’s a confidence builder for him and we needed it.”

Nolan Boike and A.J. Balsinde (save) combined to work 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Curt Smith’s two-run home run off the scoreboard in the fourth provided the margin of victory for the Bears, who scored in each of the first four innings to build an 8-3 lead.

McGraw crunched a solo homer to right-center in the first and doubled in the fourth to help spark UMaine. He also homered and doubled in Sunday’s first game.

“I worked a lot this week with [Mark] Ostrander and Joel [Barrett] just trying to get back to a comfortable position where I could attack balls as opposed to just flare balls,” McGraw said.

Freshman Brian Hackett of Bangor stroked an RBI double in the Bears’ two-run second inning, while Smith and Mo Rivera had RBI singles in UMaine’s two-run third.

Hebert added a single for Hartford (11-37, 8-15 AE).

In Sunday’s opener, the Hawks chased starter Mike Powers (3-2) with a five-run first inning en route to victory.

“Powers just didn’t have it today,” Trimper said.

Freshman righty Weston Szymanski (6-4) blanked the Bears through five innings. The sidearmer extended his string of consecutive scoreless innings to 21 before UMaine scored five runs in the sixth.

By that time, the Hawks already had built a 9-0 cushion.

Ryan Crowley drilled a grand slam to highlight Hartford’s first-inning fireworks against Powers, who hit two batters and walked one before being lifted with one out.

Sophomore lefty Jason Weymouth of Charleston walked in a run, but went on to shut out Hartford for the next five-plus innings. UMaine couldn’t get anything going offensively.

“It was just one of those things where we sat back on our heels and by the time we figured it out, it was too late,” Barrett said.

The Hawks broke the game open with four runs in the sixth. Ben Sobocinski rapped an RBI double and Bill Perry a run-scoring single to chase Weymouth, then Crowley and Cipolla followed with RBI singles off John Tesseyman.

Sobocinski and Perry posted two more singles each in Hartford’s 14-hit attack.

Ryan Quintal singled twice with an RBI and Barrett doubled and singled.

Sean Parker stroked a two-run single in the Bears’ five-run sixth-inning rally.

In Saturday’s game, Hackett got his first start since the Florida trip and made it count. The third baseman stroked three singles, scored four times and knocked in two runs.

Hackett, who got the nod for his defensive ability, rapped a two-run single in the second inning that sent UMaine on its way to a 19-hit barrage.

“It’s exciting,” said the former Bangor High standout. “I finally got my chance, tried to show coach what I can do. He always says, ‘seize the opportunities.’ That’s what I tried to do.”

Quintal stroked two of five home runs by the Bears, including a three-run frozen rope to center during a six-run fourth and a three-run laser to right to highlight a five-run eighth. He finished with seven RBIs.

Hough (4 RBIs) also homered twice, a solo shot in the third and a two-run job in the eighth. Danny Menendez knocked in three runs with a double and a single, McGraw posted a double, two singles and two RBIs and Brewer’s Kevin McAvoy doubled and singled.

UMaine was aided by a brisk wind blowing straight out.

“It’s a confidence boost,” Quintal said. “When the wind’s blowing out, if you try and hit the ball hard every time, good things are going to happen.”

Senior righthander Scott Robinson (8-3) pitched six shutout innings, allowing only three singles. He struck out five and walked three.

“I just wanted to put up a few zeroes because I knew our guys were going to break through and they broke through in a big way,” Robinson said of the Bears, who had lost five of their previous six games.

Redshirt freshman Nick Arthers of Belfast also singled for his first collegiate hit.

BLACK BEARS 20, HAWKS 4

(Saturday’s Game)

Hartford Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Stouffer, ss 5 0 1 0 Hough, cf 3 3 4

Cipolla, 2b 3 0 0 0 McGraw, rf-c 5 2 2

Perry, 3b 3 0 2 0 Barrett, 1b 3 2 1

O’Connell, lf 2 1 1 0 Quintal, lf 5 7

Crowley, c 3 0 0 0 Smith, ss 5 0 0

Hebert, c 2 1 1 2 Rivera, ph-ss 1 0 0

Price, rf 3 0 0 0 McAvoy, dh 3 2 0

Dorman, rf 1 0 0 0 Arthers, ph 2 0 0

Litke, dh 3 0 1 0 Parker, c 2 2 0

Propst, pr 1 1 0 0 Cather, rf 1 1 0

Sobocinski, cf 2 1 0 0 Hackett, 3b 5 2

Grossman, 1b 1 0 1 1 Menendez, 2b 5 2 3

Morticelli, 1b 1 0 1 1

Bowser, lf-3b 4 0 0 0

Totals 34 4 8 4 Totals 40 20 19 19

Hartford 000 000 130 – 4

Maine 022 610 45x – 20

E-Cipolla (7); Hackett (2); LOB-Hartford 9, Maine 9; 2B-O’Connell, Morticelli; McGraw, McAvoy, Parker, Menendez; HR-Hebert (1); Hough 2 (7), Barrett (5), Quintal 2 (8); DP-Crowley-Cipolla; Parker-Hackett, Smith-Menendez-Barrett; SF-Hough, Quintal; SB-Stouffer (13), Perry (11)

Hartford IP H R ER BB SO

Moraski (L,1-8) 3 8 8 8 1 2

Dabroski 2 2 3 2 3 1

Coury 1 2 4 4 5 1

Bloch 2 7 5 5 1 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Robinson (W,8-3) 6 3 0 0 3 5

Moran 2 5 4 4 2 3

Tesseyman 1 0 0 0 0 1

HBP-Grossman (by Robinson); Parker (by Moraski); WP-Coury; BK-Moran; PB-Hebert; Parker; T-2:57; ATT-313

HAWKS 11, MAINE 5

(Sunday’s First Game)

Hartford Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

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

Sobocinski, cf-p 5 2 3 2 McGraw, rf 4 1

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

Crowley, c 5 2 3 5 Quintal, lf 3 1 1

Cipolla, 2b 4 0 1 1 Smith, ss 2 0 0

Propst, dh 3 1 1 0 Rivera, ss 1 1 0

O’Connell, lf 0 0 0 0 McAvoy, dh 4 0

Grossman, 1b 4 0 1 0 Parker, c 4 1 2

Litke, rf 2 0 0 0 Menendez, 2b 2 0 0

Price, rf 1 1 1 0 Hackett, 3b 3 0 1

Bowser, lf-cf 2 1 0 1

Totals 34 11 14 11 Totals 31 5 9 5

Hartford 500 004 2 – 11

Maine 000 005 0 – 5

E-Litke (7); Quintal 2 (3), Parker (7); LOB-Hartford 8; Maine 8; 2B-Sobocinski; McGraw, Barrett, Parker; HR-Crowley (3); McGraw (3); SB-Stouffer (14), Perry (12), Propst 2 (21), Grossman (1), Bowser 2 (12)

Hartford IP H R ER BB SO

Szymanski (W,6-4) 6 9 5 5 2 4

Sobocinski 1 0 0 0 1 3

Home IP H R ER BB SO

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

Weymouth 5 6 3 3 3 2

Tesseyman 1 3 2 1 0 0

Balsinde 2/3 2 1 1 0 0

HBP-Stouffer, Perry (by Powers); WP-Perry; T-2:37

BLACK BEARS 8, HAWKS 6

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Hartford (11-37) Maine (29-17-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Stouffer, ss 4 0 1 0 Hough, cf 3 1 1

Sobocinski, cf 4 1 1 0 McGraw, c 4 1

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

Crowley, dh 3 0 1 0 Quintal, lf 4 0 0

Dorman, pr 0 0 0 0 Smith, ss 3 2 3

Cipolla, 2b 3 1 0 0 McAvoy, dh 0 1 0

Hebert, c 4 2 2 3 Rivera, 2b 4 0 1

Litke, rf 3 1 1 1 Cather, rf 0 1 0

O’Connell, rf 0 0 0 0 Hackett, 3b 3 1

Grossman, 1b 2 0 1 1

Bowser, lf 2 0 1 1

Totals 29 6 9 6 Totals 23 8 9 8

Hartford 030 030 0 – 6

Maine 122 300 x – 8

LOB- Hartford 6; Maine 8; DP-Grossman (unassisted), Stouffer-Cipolla-Grossman; Smith-McGraw; 2B- Crowley; Crowley; Barrett; Hackett; HR-Hebert (2); McGraw (4), Smith (4); SF-Hough; Barrett; SB-Stouffer (15); Hough (18), Quintal (5), Smith (17), McAvoy (4), Cather (10)

Hartford IP H R ER BB SO

Browne (L,3-6) 2 1/3 5 5 5 5 1

Dabroski 1 1/3 3 3 3 0 0

Price 2 1/3 1 0 0 3 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Martin (W,6-4) 4 2/3 7 6 6 1 4

Boike 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 0

Balsinde 1 1 0 0 0 0

HBP-Crowley, Bowser (by Martin), Grossman (by Boike); McAvoy (by Price); WP-Price; T-2:24; ATT-350