Monmouth’s 3 runs in 12th edges UMaine Bears drop 5th straight game

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Monmouth University baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the 12th inning off University of Maine relief pitcher A.J. Balsinde as the Hawks topped the Black Bears 7-4 Sunday at Max Bishop Stadium.

It was Maine’s second loss of the weekend after the Bears fell to Navy 5-4 Saturday. UMaine has dropped five straight games and 11 of its previous 12 after starting the season 4-0.

In Sunday’s game, the Black Bears mounted a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, but Monmouth’s Kyle Higgins tripled and scored a run while Mike Casale doubled and scored a run in the 12th. Maine couldn’t respond in the bottom of the inning despite a walk and a Kevin Jackson single.

Jackson did draw a pinch-hit leadoff walk to start Maine’s ninth-inning rally. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Danny Menendez double. After a strikeout and a groundout that advanced Menendez to third, Joe Mercurio hit a single to left that plated the tying run.

The Bears stranded 11 baserunners, including three combined in the 10th and 11th innings.

Maine scored its other two runs in the seventh. Curt Smith had a leadoff single and eventually scored on a field error and Menendez had an RBI on a groundout that plated Myckie Lugbauer, who had singled.

Balsinde was tagged with the loss. He allowed four hits and three runs, all earned, in two innings. He also struck out three and walked one. Starter Matt Jebb lasted six innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits along with eight strikeouts and just one walk.

In Saturday’s game, Maine also got a two-run rally to stay in it, but the Midshipmen, who are coached by former Maine skipper Paul Kostacopoulos, prevailed with a run in the bottom of the seventh and got solid relief pitching from J.D. Melton to seal it.

Melton relieved starter Mark McCoy with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh. Melton induced an inning-ending double play, then gave up just two hits the rest of the game. He didn’t have any strikeouts, but didn’t walk anyone either.

The Black Bears’ seventh-inning runs come on RBI singles by Menendez and Mercurio.

Maine’s Billy Cather singled in the first to drive in Smith, who doubled and stole third. Tony Patane doubled to drive in Mercurio in the third.

Cather went 3-for-4 while Smith doubled and singled, and Mercurio hit two singles.

Joe Miller recorded the loss in a complete-game effort for Maine. He allowed 11 hits, walked five and struck out seven.

MIDSHIPMEN 5, BLACK BEARS 4

(Saturday Afternoon)

Maine (5-10) Navy (9-6)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Patane, ss 4 0 1 1 Wright, lf 5 1 1

Smith, dh 4 1 2 0 Speciale, rf 3 1 0

Cather, cf 4 0 3 1 Hamilton, 1b 2 1 1

Lugbauer, 1b 4 0 1 0 Harris, dh 4 1 2

Martin, lf 2 0 0 0 Bland, c 4 0 1

Jackson, lf 2 0 0 0 Bolt, 3b 3 0 0

McAvoy, rf 4 0 0 0 Guadagnini, 2b 4 0 0

Lukas, 3b 4 1 1 0 Curley, ss 3 0 0

Menendez, 2b 4 1 1 1 Hollins, cf 3 1 0

Mercurio, c 3 1 2 1

Totals 35 4 11 4 Totals 31 5 11 5

Maine 101 000 300 – 4

Navy 003 010 10x – 5

LOB-Maine 4, Navy 8; 2B-Patane (4), Smith (4), Menendez (4); 3B-Harris (1), Hollins (2); HR-Harris (4); DP-Patane-Menendez-Lugbauer, Lukas-Menendez-Lugbauer; Curley-Hamilton, Bolt-Guadagnini-Hamilton; S-Hollins (2); SB-Smith (4); Speciale (7), Guadagnini (2)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Miller (L, 2-1) 8 11 5 5 5 7

Navy IP H R ER BB SO

McCoy 6 1/3 9 4 4 0 4

Melton (W, 1-1) 2 2/3 2 0 0 0 0

T-2:19; ATT-314

HAWKS 7, BLACK BEARS 4

(Sunday Afternoon, 12 innings)

Monmouth (3-8) Maine (5-11)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Higgins, ss 6 2 4 1 Patane, ss 6 0 0

Teters, cf 4 1 1 1 Cather, cf 6 0 0

Meyers, 1b 6 0 2 2 Smith, dh 4 1 0

Pulsonetti, rf 3 0 1 0 Lugbauer, 1b 5 0

M. McEndy, rf 4 0 0 0 McAvoy, rf 0 0

T. McEndy, dh 3 0 0 0 Howard, lf 3 0

Terry, pr-dh 1 0 0 0 Jackson, lf 2 1 0

Bottigliero, ph 0 0 0 0 Menendez, 2b 6 2

Dombrowski, c 4 0 0 0 Hasenfus, lf-rf 2 0

Williams, ph 1 0 0 0 Ostrander, rf 1 0 0

Dennis, c 1 0 0 0 Martin, rf 2 0 0

Casale, 3b 6 2 3 0 Lukas, 3b 1 0 0

Collazo, 2b 5 1 3 2 Mager, 3b 3 0 0

Holland, lf 4 1 1 0 Mercurio, c 5 0 1

Totals 48 7 15 6 Totals 46 4 11 3

Monmouth 210 000 100 003 – 7

Maine 000 000 202 000 – 4

E-M. McEndy (1); LOB-Monmouth 15, Maine 11; 2B-Teters (2), Meyers (4), Casale (2), Holland (3); Menendez (5); 3B-Higgins (2), Pulsonetti (1), Casale (2); DP-Higgins-Meyers, Collazo-Higgins-Meyers; S-Teters (1), Holland 2 (2); SB-Higgins (3), Teters (4), Meyers (2), Holland (1); Smith (5)

Monmouth IP H R ER BB SO

Marc-Aurele 7 5 2 0 0 4

Frazier 2/3 1 0 0 1 0

Bresse 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Esposito 1 2 2 2 1 2

Buch (W, 1-1) 3 3 0 0 2 6

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Jebb 6 7 3 3 1 8

Benoit 2 2 1 1 1 3

Balentina 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Latta 1 2/3 2 0 0 3 3

Balsinde (L, 1-3) 2 4 3 3 1 3

HBP-Lukas by Marc-Aurele; T. McEndy by Benoit; WP-Frazier (3), Esposito (1); BK-Benoit 2 (2); PB-Mercurio 2 (5); T-4:10; ATT-151