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The University of Maine Black Bear baseball team split a pair of doubleheaders with Delaware over the weekend at Bryant College in Rhode Island. Starting pitchers Simon Stoner and Rusty Tucker held the Blue Hens to just three runs in a sweep of Saturday’s doubleheader, winning 3-2 and 11-1. Delaware swept both games on Sunday, winning game one 7-5 in eight innings, and busting out the bats for a 10-3 win in the nightcap. Maine also topped Bowdoin 12-2 last night at Mahaney Diamond.
Saturday’s sweep was Maine’s first against Delaware since 1993 and left the team confident they can compete with any team in America East.
“For 75 percent of the weekend, we played very well,” said head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “We proved to ourselves that we can play with them and I think that’s important because they’ve been traditionally so strong.”
In game one on Saturday, lefty Rusty Tucker hooked up with Delaware ace Rich Maguire in an old-fashioned pitchers duel. Tucker held the Blue Hens offense to seven hits and did not walk a batter. The southpaw is now 4-1 on the season, with a Pedro Martinez-like 1.70 ERA. Maguire limited Maine to just six hits, but a rocky fifth inning proved to be the difference. The Black Bears got all the runs they needed in the fifth inning, capped off by a bases loaded, two-run single by second baseman Alain Picard.
Simon Stoner and Joe Drapeau led the Black Bears in the Saturday’s nightcap, propelling Maine to the 11-1 drubbing. Stoner, a senior righthander, scattered six hits and struck out four, to improve to 4-1. Stoner and Tucker are a combined 8-2 on the season and have led the Black Bear staff to a 4.04 ERA. Coach Kosty said the efforts of his two starters should not be underestimated.
“They took a very good hitting team, and pretty much shut them down,” said Kostacopoulos. “They made believers out of a lot of people.”
Drapeau, who was moved from third base to catcher due to an injury, has not let the change of positions affect his swing. The sophomore belted three home runs in back-to-back-to-back innings and leads the team with 10 on the season. Designated hitter Jon Hambleton hit a pair of doubles and raised his team-leading batting average to .408. Picard also had a nice day at the plate going 3-for-4 and hitting his fifth home run of the season.
The Blue Hens came back with a vengeance on Sunday, taking both games. The Black Bears were not without chances to in game one, loading the bases with no outs in the seventh with the game tied 5-5. Delaware reliever Mike Pelcher came in from the bullpen and induced two fielder’s choice groundballs and a fly ball to end the rally. Delaware scored a pair of runs in the eighth off reliever Matt Truman to ice the game for the Blue Hens. Baseball is a game of inches and Maine was inches from taking three of four.
“The disappointing thing is we had them by the throat,” said Kostacopoulos. “We had the bases loaded, nobody out and didn’t win the game.”
Delaware jumped out to an early lead in the final game of the series and completed the Sunday sweep 10-3. Maine struggled on defense, committing five errors and allowing three unearned runs. The Black Bears fielding percentage is .952, but the team has yet to practice on a field.
Coach Kostacopoulos said the weekend was positive and his team was one play away from taking three of four from the conference power. The 4.04 team ERA is a dramatic improvement from last year’s squad which finished the season with an ERA of 6.65.
“We have really become a pitching-type dominated team,” he said.
The blue and white finally opened their home schedule Tuesday night against Bowdoin and are scheduled to play Colby College at Mahaney Diamond tonight. Ryan Harris is expected to get the start on the hill for the Black Bears.
Maine continues America East play this weekend, hosting Towson for a pair of double-dips on Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers are tied with Maine for third place in the conference with a record of 7-5. Delaware and Hofstra are atop the America East standings at 8-4. Kostacopoulos said the league is much stronger than in year’s past.
“The league is very well balanced,” said Kostacopoulos. “It’s not your typical top-heavy dominated league.”
Maine is 20-9 overall and is hitting .321 as a team. With continued solid pitching, the Black Bears are in position to make the postseason tournament. The top four teams in the conference advance, but the league is very deep.
“We’re not going to know who’s going to make the playoffs until the final week of the season,” Kostacopoulos said.
Bangor Daily News