Stony Brook captures 3 straight against Maine Bears fail in comeback bids, fall to 4-8 in league

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ORONO – The University of Maine baseball team spent its entire weekend struggling to come from behind.

Sunday afternoon, Stony Brook put the Black Bears in a deep hole early, capping the series with a convincing 13-6 America East victory at chilly, gray Mahaney Diamond.

After dropping Friday’s opener, the Seawolves ran off three straight wins to secure first place in the league standings. On Saturday, Stony Brook staved off two seventh-inning threats to win 5-4 and 4-2.

“It was a tough weekend, but we’ve got to forget about it and come back Tuesday and practice hard,” said Bears captain Curt Smith.

“We definitely need some momentum,” he said. “We need all the guys to step up.”

On Sunday, Stony Brook (24-16, 11-5 AE) jumped on UMaine (16-21-1, 4-8 AE) for nine runs in the first three innings.

The Seawolves scored three in the first against starter Alejandro Balsinde (1-5), then jumped on reliever Justin Latta for five runs in the next inning.

“We never had a chance,” said UMaine coach Steve Trimper. “We came out, didn’t pitch well, bottom line.”

“It’s just tough to come back when you get down a bunch of runs right off the bat,” he said.

Freshman righty Kyle Benoit settled things down with six solid innings of relief (seven hits, four runs), but the damage had long since been done.

Jeremy Nowak (5-1) scattered 10 hits and four earned runs in seven innings to get the win.

Steven Mazzurco rapped a triple and three singles and Chad Marshall posted four singles in SBU’s 17-hit assault. Brian Witkowski knocked in three runs with a home run and a single and scored four times, while Michael Tansey hit a double and two singles (2 RBIs).

UMaine’s 11 hits were sprinkled throughout the game. Smith led the Bears with a two-run home run and a single, while Myckie Lugbauer and Danny Menendez each doubled and singled. Bill Cather and Kevin McAvoy of Brewer added two singles apiece.

Up 5-2, SBU put the game out of reach in the third. Mazzurco, Keith Fier and Tansey stroked consecutive singles to plate one run, chasing Latta. One out later, Witkowski stroked a two-run homer to right.

UMaine had a chance to make a game of it in the fifth. Lugbauer and Tony Patane hit RBI singles with nobody out to make it 9-4, but Nowak retired McAvoy and Joey Martin, stranding three baserunners.

“We’ve got to get those hits with guys in scoring position – guys on third with less than two outs – we’ve got to get those guys in every time,” Menendez said.

In Saturday’s second game, Jordan Purington worked out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the seventh inning as SBU got the sweep.

UMaine scratched out only two runs against starter Mike Errigo (3-4), then came to life in the seventh against Purington.

Menendez worked a leadoff walk, then Cather spanked a single to left and Jarrett Lukas of Old Town laid down a pretty bunt single. However, Smith hit hard into a double play and Purington struck out Lugbauer.

“It is frustrating,” Lukas said. “The last two innings, we always seem to get something together and sometimes it works out, like [Friday] and sometimes it doesn’t, like [Saturday].”

UMaine went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Seawolves were clutch offensively, scoring all four of their runs after two were out.

“Two or three times in a row, we just haven’t got that two-out hit,” Trimper said. “They had their RBIs with two outs.”

Stephen Marino did much of the damage with a two-run single to center in the second off loser Kevin Scanlan (2-3) and an RBI double to left-center in the seventh. He had another single.

Marshall singled twice, including a single in the sixth on a 3-2 pitch that plated the eventual game-winner.

“I just threw a slider that stayed up,” Scanlan said. “It was just bad mechanics.”

Rob Dyer doubled and singled for SBU.

Lukas paced the Bears with two singles, including an RBI hit in the third to score Martin (single). Cather posted two hits.

In Saturday’s opener, Stony Brook scored twice in the seventh, then held off UMaine.

The Seawolves went 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position and scored four of their five runs with two out.

“We’ve got to get the big hit or the big pitch,” Trimper said.

Righty Gary Novakowski (5-3) limited UMaine to four runs on five hits through 6 1/3 innings, then Nowak survived a shaky seventh to earn the save.

Fier led SBU with two singles and two RBIs, while Witkowski and Michael Stephan each doubled and singled and Marshall singled twice (RBI). Nowak hit a solo homer in the first inning.

Lukas doubled and singled to pace UMaine.

The Seawolves broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Loser Matt Jebb (2-3) departed with Nowak (walk) on first and two out. Marino and Fier greeted Jimmy Cox of Bangor with back-to-back singles to make it 2-1.

SBU added two runs in the seventh. Witkowski doubled and scored on a bad-hop single by Marshall, who eventually came home on Fier’s infield hit.

pwarner@bangordailynews.net

990-8240

SEAWOLVES 5, BLACK BEARS 4

(Saturday’s First Game)

Stony Brook Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Witkowski, cf 4 1 2 0 Cather, cf 4 0

Marshall, 2b 4 1 2 1 Lukas, 3b 4 1 1

Stephan, dh 3 1 2 0 Smith, 1b 4 0 1

Mazzurco, lf 0 0 0 0 Lugbauer, dh 3 0 1

Nowak, rf-p 2 2 1 2 Patane, ss 4 0 0

Dyer, 1b 3 0 1 0 McAvoy, rf 3 0 0

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

Fier, ss 4 0 2 2 Menendez, 2b 2 1 0

Tansey, lf-rf 3 0 0 0 Howard, lf 1 0

Thode, c 3 0 0 0 Jackson, ph 1 0 0

Echevarria, c 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 5 11 5 Totals 28 4 7 3

Stony Brook 200 001 2 – 5

Maine 100 010 2 – 4

E-Marshall (16); LOB-SBU 9, Maine 7; 2B-Witkowski, Stephan; Lukas; HR-Nowak (3); S-Nowak; SB-Cather (14), Mercurio (4)

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Novakowski (W, 5-3) 6 1/3 5 4 4 3 3

Nowak (S,7) 2/3 2 0 0 0 0

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Jebb (L, 2-3) 5 2/3 5 3 3 2 5

Cox 1/3 3 1 1 1 0

Latta 1 3 1 1 1 2

HBP-Mercurio (by Novakowski); WP-Jebb, Cox; T-2:20

SEAWOLVES 4, BLACK BEARS 2

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Stony Brook Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Witkowski, cf 2 1 0 0 Cather, cf 4 0

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

Stephan, dh 2 0 1 0 Smith, 1b 3 1 0

Nowak, rf 4 0 1 0 Lugbauer, dh 4 0 0

Dyer, 1b 4 2 2 0 Patane, ss 3 0 1

Mazzurco, lf 3 1 0 0 McAvoy, rf 2 0 0

Fier, ss 3 0 1 0 Mercurio, c 3 0 0

Marino, 3b 4 0 3 3 Martin, lf 3 1 0

Echevarria, c 4 0 0 0 Menendez, 2b 0 0

Totals 30 4 10 4 Totals 26 2 7 2

Stony Brook 020 001 1 – 4

Maine 001 001 0 – 2

E-Fier (7); LOB-SBU 11, Maine 8; 2B-Dyer, Marino; DP-SBU 2; S-Fier; Menendez; SB-Fier (7), Marino (2); McAvoy (3)

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Errigo (W, 3-4) 5 1/3 5 2 2 2 3

Purington (S, 4) 1 2/3 2 0 0 2 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Scanlan (L, 2-3) 6 8 3 2 3 8

Latta 1 2 1 1 0 1

HBP-Stephan, Witkowski (by Scanlan); PB-Mercurio 2; T-2:10; ATT-500

SEAWOLVES 13, BLACK BEARS 6

(Sunday’s Game)

Stony Brook (24-16) Maine (16-21-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Witkowski, cf 4 4 2 3 Cather, cf 4 0

Marshall, 2b 6 1 4 1 Lukas, 3b 4 1 1

Stephan, dh 4 1 1 1 Smith, 1b 4 2 2

Dyer, 1b 4 1 1 2 Lugbauer, dh 5 0 1

Marino, 3b 5 0 1 1 Patane, ss 5 0 1

Mazzurco, lf 5 2 4 0 McAvoy, rf 4 0 1

Fier, ss 4 1 1 1 Martin, lf 4 0 0

Tansey, rf 4 3 3 2 Mercurio, c 4 0 0

Echevarria, c 3 0 0 1 Menendez, 2b 3 0

Totals 39 13 17 12 Totals 37 6 11 6

Stony Brook 324 000 121 – 13

Maine 200 020 110 – 6

E-Marino (3) ,Fier (8); Lukas (7), Mercurio (1); LOB-SBU 10, Maine 9; 2B-Tansey; Lugbauer, Menendez; 3B-Mazzurco; HR-Witkowski (6); Smith (11); DP-SBU 2, Maine 1; S-Marino, Fier, Echevarria 2; SF-McAvoy; SB-Witkowski (8)

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Nowak (W, 5-1) 7 10 5 4 2 4

Will 1 1 1 1 2 0

Purington 1 0 0 0 0 0

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Balsinde (L, 1-5) 1 3 3 3 2 0

Latta 1 7 5 5 0 1

Benoit 6 7 4 4 2 7

Carroll 1 0 1 0 2 0

Latta faced three batters in the third

HBP-Dyer (by Benoit); WP-Will; Benoit 2; T-3:10; ATT-163