Baseball Captures 6-1 Senior Day Win Over Maine
BOX SCORE
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany baseball team ended the season on high note, overcoming the visiting Maine Black Bears, 6-1, Saturday afternoon at Varsity Field. With the Senior Day win, the Great Danes close the year with a 14-28 overall record and 7-13 mark in the America East, while Maine moves on to the America East Conference Tournament in Lowell, Mass. next week with a 24-26 overall mark and 10-10 conference record.
“I think this group worked really hard this year,” said Head Coach Jon Mueller. “We had a lot of adversity throughout the year -- a lot of guys went down. This group could have quit, but they really fought like heck.”
After a pregame ceremony honoring the team's eight seniors -- Daniel Castro, Matt Gallup, Andrew Jaurique, Craig Lepre, Alex Lushkevich, Joey Moore, Adam Mund, and Cameron Sorgie -- UAlbany struck first in the bottom of the first inning.
Will Miller knocked a leadoff single to right-center and scored on Shawn Blake's sacrifice fly in foul territory in left.
UAlbany senior starter Matt Gallup sat the Black Bears down in order through the first three innings before Sam Balzano broke up the no-hitter to open the fourth.
In the fifth, Maine tied the ballgame, 1-1, as Luke Morrill singled to left and Brian Doran ripped an RBI double down the right field line.
However, that would be the Black Bears' final run of the game as the Great Dane pitching staff did not allow more than one base runner per inning the rest of the way.
UAlbany took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth sparked by freshman Shawn Blake's first career home run. After the solo shot, Matt Hinchy singled through the left side, Mund knocked an RBI double to left and Brendan Behan gave the Danes a 4-1 lead with a single to left. After a call to the bullpen replacing starter Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes with Connor Johnson, Eric Mueller lined an RBI single to center and Kenny Hayden singled to short before Maine was able to record the final out.
The Great Danes tacked on an insurance run in the eighth for a 6-1 advantage, as Mueller singled up the middle, moved to second on Hayden's sacrifice bunt, and scored on senior Alex Lushkevich's two-out RBI single to the same location.
On the mound, senior reliever Andrew Jaurique (1-0) earned the win, tossing a perfect sixth inning with a strikeout. Gallup took the no-decision, despite tossing five solid innings, allowing one run and three scattered hits, while striking out one.
Senior Daniel Castro held the Black Bears off the board in the seventh and eighth frames with a pair of strikeouts, and Joe Romero and Joey Moore shared a scoreless ninth to secure the win.
For Maine, Gosselin-Deschesnes (3-3) took the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits in 5.2 innings of work. Out of the pen, Charlie Butler hurled the final two frames, allowing a run and two hits.
Offensively, the Great Danes totaled 12 hits led by Miller's 3-for-5 day, while Blake (2-for-2) and Mueller (2-for-4) each knocked a pair of hits in the victory.
“The seniors are all good kids, and good examples on and off the field,” said Mueller. “I couldn't be prouder of them today. They were all a part of the win and that's always important to send them out on a good note on Senior Day.”
