The 2019 college baseball season is reaching the middle point in the season and it has been an uphill battle for the University of Maine Black Bears who are currently sitting at 0-12.
The baseball team spent the weekend on the road yet again, in Starkville, Mississippi to take on Mississippi State University. Their tough road stretch continued Friday when Maine played the Mississippi State University Bulldogs in a doubleheader for the first two games of a three-game set.
The Bulldogs came out victorious in both games of the doubleheader winning the first 9-2 and the second 5-1. Third-year Danny Casals stood out Friday for the Black Bears, recording three hits including a double, two stolen bases and a run for Maine in the two games. In the first game, fourth-year pitcher Nick Silva pitched a strong four scoreless innings to keep the game knotted at zero going into the fifth frame, and the floodgates opened in the bottom of the fifth when Mississippi State scored four runs to open up a 4-0 lead. Maine managed to bat in a single run heading into the sixth frame, cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 4-1.
The Bulldogs were able to answer right back in the bottom of the sixth when they added three more to their lead to make it a 7-1 game. After starting the day strong, Silva was eventually pulled out of the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, also allowing seven earned runs to the Bulldogs, Silva was ultimately charged with the loss.
Maine will turn their focus to next weekend’s trip to Birmingham, Alabama where they will take on Samford University in a three-game set. Maine will stay in Alabama after their three games against Samford and head to Tuscaloosa where they will face the University of Alabama in a single game against the Crimson Tide.
When the Black Bears finish their road trip in Alabama, they will begin playing in conference games. Their first America East game will be in New York against Binghamton University on Saturday, March 23. The America East teams will feature more balanced opponents for a Maine team trying to capture its first victory. Until then, they will look to keep their spirits up in their long road stretch and hope to capture some wins on their trip to Alabama.
