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Heading into the weekend, the University of Maine baseball team was set on improving its pitching. Mission accomplished.
Sophomore Nolan Boike and junior Josh Zyskowski each turned in an outstanding effort from the mound as the Black Bears took two-of-three in a weekend set against the New York Institute of Technology at President’s Field in Old Westbury, N.Y.
Zyskowski was the star of the weekend, leading UMaine to victory in the rubber game on Sunday afternoon. The right-hander scattered two hits over 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs as the Black Bears took a 3-2 decision. Zyskowski’s lone blemishes were six walks on the afternoon, but he also had six strikeouts.
He got a no-decision for his efforts, however, as the game was tied 2-2 when he was relieved by sophomore Jason Weymouth in the eighth. Weymouth didn’t allow a hit and improved to 2-0 when the Black Bears plated the winning run in the top of the ninth.
Junior Joel Barrett, who had two runs batted in on the afternoon, singled to bring in senior Joe Hough. Hough scored all three UMaine runs.
UMaine’s Scott Robinson came on to slam the door on NYIT in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side and walking one to record his second save of the weekend. Robinson now has 18 saves in his career, only one shy of the UMaine school record.
Offensively, the Black Bears were led by Barrett’s three RBIs and sophomore Curt Smith was three-for-three at the dish. The Black Bears totaled nine hits on the afternoon.
NYIT took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a Kraig Binnik triple followed up by an Andrew Karkoulos ground out that brought Binnik around.
The Black Bears would hold them to just two hits in the game and without a serious threat the rest of the way, setting up Barrett’s heroics in the ninth.
With the 2-1 series win, the coach Steve Trimper’s troops improve to 11-9 on the season, while NYIT fell to 7-8.
The teams split a double-header on Saturday, with UMaine winning the first game 3-1 and NYIT answering back with a 7-1 victory in the nightcap.
Boike pitched four of the seven innings in the opener, a shortened affair because of the doubleheader. He allowed one run on five hits and got the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. Freshman Mike Powers threw a no-hit inning and Robinson threw the final two frames to record the save.
UMaine grabbed an early 1-0 lead on the efforts of a pair of freshmen. Danny Menendez reached second on an error and classmate Sean Parker singled to center to plate Menendez.
The Black Bears made it 3-0 in the fifth when Smith scored on a wild pitch and freshman Kevin McAvoy came around on a Parker single.
NYIT’s lone run came in the bottom of the fourth on Mike LaLuna’s RBI double.
UMaine dropped the second game of the doubleheader in large part due to five errors. The Black Bears had a 1-0 lead, but it quickly evaporated as NYIT exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third, then tacked on two more in the sixth for the 7-1 final.
Troy Martin got the start and allowed six runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings, though only one of the runs was earned. Martin had one strikeout and surrendered only one walk. AJ Balsinde retired the only batter he faced.
The Black Bears were held to just two hits on the afternoon as NYIT’s Chris Perez pitched all seven innings. He fanned eight UMaine batters while only walking one.
McAvoy’s hit in the game extended his hitting streak to 15 games, but it was snapped on Sunday when he made an out in a pinch-hitting appearance.
The Black Bears head south to the mid-Atlantic region next weekend, playing a doubleheader against Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday before facing Delaware State in a two-game set on Sunday. UMaine’s home opener is set for April 13.
Bangor Daily News