ORONO – The College of Maine’s baseball workforce was three outs away from choosing up a invaluable America East sweep of New Jersey Institute of Expertise on Sunday at Mahaney Diamond.
However the Highlanders capitalized on a expensive error and acquired a clutch two-run single from sophomore catcher Cole Campbell within the ninth inning to rally previous the Black Bears 6-5 within the second recreation of their doubleheader.
Sophomore right-hander Gianni Gambardella tossed six innings of one-hit shutout ball within the opener and sophomore catcher Dean O’Neill belted a grand slam as UMaine gained the seven-inning opener 8-0.
UMaine is now 7-19 total and 3-5 within the convention, whereas NJIT is 11-17 and 4-4.
The Black Bears led 5-2 after two innings within the nightcap, however starter Brandon Peterson of NJIT settled down and pitched two scoreless innings earlier than Liam Reiner and Joe Georgini mixed to throw 5 innings of four-hit shutout aid.
NJIT’s Albert Choi’s two-run homer to left within the fourth inning, his third homer of the season, reduce the result in 5-4, and that’s how the sport remained till the highest of the ninth.
Middle fielder Choi, who had thrown out a runner on the plate within the sixth inning, opened the ninth with a routine grounder to UMaine shortstop Jake Marquez, however Marquez’s throw pulled Jeremiah Jenkins off the primary base bag for an error.
Freshman Jason Krieger struck out the following hitter however, after Choi stole second, Cade Ladehoff walked and a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance to second and third.
Luke Lengthy was issued an intentional stroll, and Campbell adopted with a floor ball single to heart to attain Choi and pinch-runner A.J. Soldra.
“I used to be in search of a splitty the entire time, and he lastly threw it,” mentioned Campbell. “It was the one I needed. I didn’t attempt to do an excessive amount of with it. I simply hit it up the center.
“I had hit the ball exhausting all day. I hoped it might get by means of, and it did,” added Campbell.
“That was a giant second for him and massive second for us. He’s a younger child who’s getting a possibility and he’s beginning to capitalize on a few of them,” mentioned NJIT baseball coach Robbie McClellan. “It was large for us. You by no means wish to go on the highway and get swept. And with solely two video games this weekend, getting a break up was essential for us.”
The groups have been presupposed to play three video games, however climate postponed Friday and Saturday video games and the league doesn’t permit groups to play Monday convention make-up video games.
Run-scoring singles by Ladehoff and Campbell staked NJIT to a 2-0 lead within the first inning, however UMaine responded with Jenkins’s twelfth homer of the season, an opposite-field shot to left, within the backside of the primary and added 4 extra within the second.
Myles Sargent’s first homer of the yr, a two-run blast to left heart, triggered the second-inning rally and singles by O’Neill, Jack Good friend (RBI) and Will Burns, and an error by shortstop Ray Ortiz produced the ultimate two runs.
“We performed fairly nicely however we wanted to get some insurance coverage runs within the later innings,” mentioned UMaine junior slugger Jenkins.
“Reiner and Georgini have been wonderful, and Peterson gave us two scoreless innings (after being touched for 5 runs within the first two innings),” mentioned McClellan.
Georgini pitched the final two innings and earned the win. He’s 3-2.
Choi, Campbell, Ladehoff and Kevin Putsky had two hits every for NJIT, whereas Burns, Marquez and Sargent had two every for UMaine.
Freshman Krieger took the loss and is now 1-3. However he turned in a formidable outing with 5 innings of four-hit two-run ball in aid of Luc Lavigueur. Only one run was earned. He struck out six and walked 4.
Within the opener, Gambardella turned in a gem to finest senior lefty Aidan Kidd in a duel of 2023 All-America East first workforce pitchers.
Gambardella struck out 5 and walked one over his six-inning stint and by no means allowed a baserunner previous first base.
The one hit off him was a single by Austin Francis off the glove of Marquez.
He threw 92 pitches, 59 for strikes.
“I had (good) command of my fastball and I stored them off-balance with my offspeed stuff, particularly my slider,” mentioned Gambardella, who improved to 2-4.
Kidd, now 2-2, allowed seven hits and eight runs over 4 ⅔ innings, however simply two of the runs off him have been earned.
UMaine took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run within the second when Marquez rifled a single to left, went to second on Sargent’s bloop single to proper and scored when sailed an errant throw to first by Ortiz whereas attempting to finish an inning-ending double play.
The Black Bears prolonged the lead within the fourth when Zach Martin dropped a comfortable single into heart area and, following a Marquez sacrifice, scored when Sargent ripped a line drive double contained in the left area line.
The Black Bears broke the sport open with six runs within the fifth and, once more, Kidd’s protection abandoned him.
Burns beat out a excessive chopper to first for an infield single with one out to start out the rally.
Jenkins then hit a possible inning-ending double play grounder to second baseman Francis, who fumbled it for an error.
Nick White walked to load the bases, and Martin was hit by a pitch to drive in a run.
One out later, Kidd hit Sargent with a pitch to drive in one other run earlier than O’Neill adopted by launching his grand slam over the left area fence for his third homer of the season.
Gabe Gifford and Marshall Smaracko pitched the seventh for UMaine.
Sargent was the sport’s solely repeat hitter along with his double and single.
UMaine will journey to play a non-conference recreation at UConn on Wednesday at 3 p.m. earlier than going to UMass Lowell for single convention video games on Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at midday.
