BALTIMORE – Joel Thorney pitched seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball Wednesday afternoon, leading the University of Maine to a 13-1 baseball victory over Coppin State at Joe Cannon Field.

Coach Steve Trimper’s Black Bears (12-16-1) pounded out 17 hits, finally blowing the game open with an eight-run, seventh-inning rally.

UMaine returns to action Friday at 3 p.m. with an America East doubleheader (seven-inning games) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Coppin State (2-37) has now lost 27 consecutive contests.

Thorney, a senior righthander, struck out seven, walked one and hit a batter, throwing 56 of his 75 pitches for strikes. He has been injured throughout his career, but also picked up a win a six days earlier against Husson.

“Thorney pitched great,” Trimper said. “He was throwing extremely hard and he kept the ball down.”

Senior captain Curt Smith paced the UMaine offense with a three-run home run, an RBI double and a single. Billy Cather collected a run-scoring single, a two-run single and a double for the Bears.

Myckie Lugbauer contributed a double and two singles, while Kevin Jackson posted a pair of RBI singles. Danny Menendez (RBI) and Tony Patane added two singles each for the winners.

The Bears were able to take advantage of the Eagles’ (2-37) poor defense as the hosts committed seven errors. UMaine went 10-for-26 with runners in scoring position (.385), but still wound up stranding 15 baserunners.

“What we really did today, we tried to implement a lot more of that team-oriented stuff, putting pressure on defenses,” Trimper said. “It was nice that we executed some of those things [bunts, hit-and-runs] offensively.

Harry Williams stroked two doubles and a single, accounting for three of Coppin State’s six hits.

UMaine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Smith’s RBI double and Lugbauer’s run-producing single. However, the Bears led only 4-1 heading into the pivotal seventh.

Patane led off with a single through the left side, then Jarrett Lukas of Old Town, Jackson and Joe Mercurio reached on consecutive errors, resulting in the first run.

Cather followed with a two-run single up the middle and Menendez hit an RBI single before Smith belted a three-run shot to left-center. Jackson eventually added an RBI single as the Bears made it 12-1.

UMaine, which has practiced outside only once since returning from its spring trip, will practice outside today at UMBC in preparation for the four-game weekend series.

BLACK BEARS 13, EAGLES 1

Maine (12-16-1) Coppin State (2-37)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Cather, cf 6 2 3 3 Matos, lf 4 0 0

Menendez, 2b 6 1 2 1 Recci, ss 4 0 0

Smith, dh 5 3 3 4 Williams, 1b 3 1 0

Lugbauer, 1b 6 0 3 1 Santalo, c 3 0 1

McAvoy, rf 4 0 0 0 Batista, rf 4 0 0

Howard, rf 1 1 0 0 Reynolds, 2b 2 0 0

Patane, ss 4 2 2 0 Fomenko, 2b 1 0 0

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

Martin, lf 3 1 1 0 Yampierre, dh 2 0 0

Jackson, lf 3 1 2 2 Scott, cf 3 0 0

Mercurio, c 4 1 0 0 Briggs, 3b 2 0 0

Regalado, 3b 1 0 1 0

Totals 48 13 17 11 Totals 30 1 6 1

Maine 211 000 801 – 13

Coppin State 000 100 000 – 1

E-Recci 2 (15), Reynolds 2 (13), Fomenko (6), Briggs (4), Russell (15); LOB-Maine 15; Coppin State 5; 2B-Smith, Lugbauer, Martin; Matos, Williams 2; HR-Smith (8); DP-Maine 2; SB-Cather 3 (11), Patane (3)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Thorney (W,2-1) 7 4 1 1 0 7

Boike 1 2 0 0 0 2

Forrest 1 0 0 0 1 1

Coppin State IP H R ER BB SO

Downs (L,0-7) 3 5 4 2 2 2

Russell 4 9 8 4 4 3

Thomas 2 3 1 0 1 0

HBP-Yampierre (by Thorney), Santalo (by Forrest); WP-Forrest; Russell; T-2:37; ATT-21