Maine freshman shuts out Albany Scanlan helps Bears gain split

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ORONO – The University of Maine baseball team came a bit unglued during the first game of Friday’s America East baseball doubleheader against Albany.

The Black Bears uncharacteristically received shaky starting pitching and committed four errors in an 11-8 loss in which coach Steve Trimper was ejected in the second inning for arguing a call at second base.

Freshman Kevin Scanlan provided a settling influence, helping UMaine bounce back with his pitching performance in the nightcap.

The lefthander fired an efficient three-hitter, earning his first collegiate victory as UMaine shut out Albany 6-0 at Mahaney Diamond.

“I’ve had some tough losses, but it was good to finally get my first one [win],” Scanlan said. “It was good to get offensive help tonight, that’s a big difference.”

Utilizing his sharp overhand curveball, a cut fastball and a changeup, Scanlan (1-2) struck out a career-high 12 batters and walked four while throwing 129 pitches in going the distance.

The Bears (11-14-1 overall, 1-1 AE) bounced back nicely and won, despite scratching out only five hits in the second game.

“They overcame adversity,” said Trimper. “Everybody kicked in. That’s a very nice win for the boys.”

The two teams are scheduled to play a seven-inning game today at 1 p.m., weather permitting, then finish the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with a nine-inning contest. Husson College in Bangor is the backup site for today, while Mansfield Stadium in Bangor is the alternate site for Sunday, if needed.

In the nightcap, Scanlan took a while to get into a groove, but he settled down and finished strong, retiring 14 of the last 16 men he faced.

“He was unbelievable,” Trimper said. “That’s a big-time performance from him and we needed that.”

Scanlan outdueled righty Casey Walsh (0-6), who allowed only five hits and two earned runs but was victimized by six Albany errors.

UMaine supported Scanlan early, scoring three runs in the second inning and two in the third to provide a solid advantage.

The Bears broke on top for a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Tony Patane grounded a hard single to left, Mark Ostrander walked, then Jarrett Lukas reached on an errant high toss to the pitcher at first by the first baseman Mike Konstanty, which allowed a run to score.

Danny Menendez loaded the bases when he reached on a fielder’s choice chopper to third on which Ostrander was caught off third, but was subsequently hit in the back by the catcher’s throw.

Billy Cather plated a run with a fielder’s choice grounder to second and stole second, then Menendez eventually scored on an errant pickoff throw to third by catcher Ryan Gugel.

Scanlan worked out of a big no-outs jam in the third when Brendan Rowland and Dave West sandwiched infield singles around a walk to Sean Donovan. However, Scanlan induced a popup and an inning-ending double-play grounder, which included a nifty pick by first baseman Smith, to escape.

“That was huge,” Trimper said.

The Bears responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Smith and McAvoy lashed doubles and McAvoy eventually scored on a wild pitch.

“To bounce back like that, especially in a conference game, is huge and it’s just going to lead us into tomorrow and hopefully the rest of the conference games,” McAvoy said.

Cather also doubled for UMaine.

In the opener, the Great Danes reached UMaine starter Joe Miller for five runs in the second inning and built a six-run lead on the way to victory.

Miller (3-2) was wild while allowing seven runs, five earned, in four innings. He walked one and hit three batters. UMaine, which had not committed an error in its previous five games, made four.

“We did score some runs but we didn’t make the plays in the field and we didn’t get good starting pitching,” Trimper said.

Albany (6-24-1, 2-4 AE) rebuffed the Bears’ comeback attempts, reaching three UMaine relievers for five runs over the last five innings.

Sean Gregory (2-3) picked up the win for the Great Danes, spreading out five hits and not allowing an earned run in five innings of solid relief.

The Bears piled up 13 hits, including a solo home run and an RBI single by Smith, but couldn’t come up with enough clutch hits. Old Town’s Lukas stroked a two-run triple and a single for UMaine, which got a doubled and a single each from Myckie Lugbauer and Cather.

Leadoff man Rowland sparked Albany with three singles and two RBIs and Gugel singled twice (RBI).

Miller cruised through a 1-2-3 first inning, but ran into major problems in the second. He hit leadoff hitter Konstanty, then Gugel lined a single to right-center. Miller then plunked Tom Zink, loading the bases.

Pete Eichner plated the first two runs when his hard grounder eluded Bears first baseman Lugbauer. Kyle Crean walked and Gary Pitcharelle struck out, before Rowland pushed a run across with an infield single between first and second.

Sean Donovan followed with an RBI fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop, but the fifth run came home when the relay throw by second baseman Menendez hit the runner and bounced away.

Trimper was ejected from the game shortly after that call as the Bears’ staff protested the runner had interfered with Menendez’s throw.

pwarner@bangordailynews.net

990-8240

GREAT DANES 11, BLACK BEARS 8

(First Game)

Albany Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rowland, rf 5 1 3 2 Cather, cf 5 2 0

Donovan, ss 6 0 0 1 Howard, lf 4 1 0

West, cf 4 0 1 1 Smith, dh 5 2 2

Konstanty, 1b 2 2 0 0 Lugbauer, 1b-c 5 1

Gugel, c 3 2 2 1 McAvoy, rf 4 1 0

Zink, dh 3 2 0 0 Patane, ss 5 1 0

Eichner, 3b 2 2 1 2 Lukas, 3b 4 0 2

Crean, 2b 2 1 0 0 Menendez, 2b 4 0 0

Rizzo, 2b 2 0 0 0 Mercurio, c 3 1 0

Pitcheralle, lf 5 1 1 2 Jackson, ph 1 0

Martin, 1b 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 11 8 9 Totals 40 8 13 5

Albany 051 120 101 – 11

Maine 100 240 001 – 8

E-Rowland, Eichner, Gregory; Lukas 2, Menendez, Miller; LOB-Albany 9, Maine 7; 2B-West; Cather, Lugbauer, Patane; 3B-Lukas; HR-Pitcheralle (2); Smith (7); DP-Albany 1; S-Eichner 2; SB-Rowland, Gugel, Zink, Eichner; Smith, Lugbauer, McAvoy

Albany IP H R ER BB SO

Warrings 4 8 6 5 1 1

Gregory (W, 2-3) 5 5 2 0 1 3

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Miller (L, 3-2) 4 6 7 5 2 7

Balsinde 1 1 2 0 0 0

Balentina 1 1/3 0 1 1 0 3

Latta 2 2/3 1 1 1 4 4

HBP-Konstanty 2 (by Miller), Zink 2 (by Miller, Balentina), Gugel (by Balentina); WP-Miller; T-3:15; ATT-248

BLACK BEARS 5, GREAT DANES 3

(Second Game)

Albany (6-24-1) Maine (11-14-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rowland, lf 4 0 1 0 Cather, cf 4 0 1

Donovan, ss 2 0 0 0 Howard, lf 3 0 0

West, cf 2 0 1 0 Smith, 1b 3 1 0

Konstanty, 1b 3 0 0 0 Lugbauer, c 3 0

Gugel, c 2 0 1 0 McAvoy, dh 2 1 1

Zink, dh 2 0 0 0 Patane, ss 3 2 0

Liebowitz, ph 0 0 0 0 Ostrander, rf 0 0

Pitcheralle, lf 3 0 0 0 Martin, rf 2 0

Halloran, 3b 2 0 0 0 Lukas, 3b 3 1 0

Eichner, ph 1 0 0 0 Menendez, 2b 3 0 0

Rizzo, 2b 3 0 0 0

Totals 24 0 3 0 Totals 26 6 5 2

Albany 000 000 0 – 0

Maine 032 001 x – 6

E-Donovan, Konstanty, Gugel, Rizzo; Menendez; LOB-Albany 7, Maine 4; 2B-Smith, McAvoy; DP-Albany 1, Maine 1; SB-Rowland, Gugel; Cather

Albany IP H R ER BB SO

Walsh (L, 0-8) 6 5 6 2 2 3

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Scanlan (W, 1-2) 7 3 0 0 4 12

WP-Scanlan; PB-Gugel; T-2:11