Maine Sweeps Friday's Doubleheader From Baseball
BOX ONE I BOX TWO
ALBANY, N.Y. – Needing to sweep the series against Maine, the University at Albany baseball team will not make an appearance in next week's America East Conference series after falling 4-1 and 3-1 to the Black Bears Friday at Varsity Field. The Great Dane will enter Saturday's season finale with a 13-28 overall record and 6-13 mark in the America East, while Maine clinched one of the four seeds in the tournament with the pair of wins, improving to 24-25 overall and 10-9 in conference play.
A pitchers' duel through the first six innings of game one, UAlbany starter Stephen Woods and Maine hurler Justin Courtney held both sides scoreless.
UAlbany took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Matt Hinchy reached on a fielding error, Craig Lepre singled to left-center, and Eric Mueller was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out for the second time in the game. Garrett Longhurst's sac fly to left brought in Hinchy for a 1-0 advantage, but Courtney escaped the jam with a strikeout.
Entering the seventh, Woods had allowed just one hit and faced only two over the minimum. However, Maine got things going and took advantage of some Great Dane miscues in the inning to score four runs. Scott Heath drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up Luke Morrill's RBI double to right. With two outs, Morrill stole third and scored on Kevin Stypulkowski's wild pitch third strike, allowing the inning to continue. Stypulkowski would score on a passed ball and Brenden Geary, who reached on a walk, crossed the plate on a rundown between home and third for two unearned runs.
Courtney (5-5) earned the win, allowing five hits and one unearned run in 6.0 innings of work, while Logan Fullmer picked up the save, holding UAlbany to one hit, while striking out four in the final three innings.
Woods (3-6) took the loss, despite allowing just two hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight. Coming out of the pen in the seventh, Moore threw the last 2.1 frames, credited with a hit and three strikeouts.
Offensively, the Great Danes totaled six hits in the game led by Lepre's 2-for-4 effort.
In game two, Maine took a 1-0 lead into the second, stringing together a leadoff walk and three straight singles.
However, UAlbany tied it up in the third, loading the bases on Trevor DeMerrit's walk, Will Miller's single to right-center, and a fielding error. Patient at the plate, Hinchy drew an RBI walk, making the score 1-1.
In the fourth, Maine took the lead for good, as Christian Garabedian, Jake Osborne, and Jonathn Salcedo knocked consecutive singles off senior starter Cameron Sorgie, plating one. Sam Balzano's infield groundout scored a second, giving the Black Bears a 3-1 advantage.
Heath (6-3) earned the win on the mound, allowing a run and three hits, while striking out five in five innings. Out of the pen, Charlie Butler threw a scoreless sixth, and Fullmer picked up his second save of the day, tossing a perfect seventh.
For UAlbany, Sorgie (1-6) took the loss in his final career start. Throwing the complete game, he allowed 10 hits and three runs.
At the plate, Miller piloted the Danes, going 2-for-2, while Hinchy and Kenny Hayden each logged a hit in the nightcap.
UAlbany closes the 2015 campaign Saturday against Maine at 12 p.m. The Great Dane seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
