ALBANY, N.Y. — Taylor Lewis started out the weekend by striking out in his first two at-bats Saturday.
He didn’t allow the slow start to shake his confidence.
The University of Maine’s sophomore center fielder hit for the cycle in Sunday’s 9-2 opening-game victory, then hit a home run with four RBIs in the 11-5 nightcap as the Black Bears swept their America East doubleheader against Albany.
On Saturday, the Great Danes (2-22, 1-2 AE) squandered a six-run lead before rallying to win 11-10.
Coach Steve Trimper’s team improved to 17-14 overall, 2-1 in league play behind Lewis, who went 8-for-12 on the weekend with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. He knocked in six runs in the three games and scored six times.
Lewis posted eight consecutive hits starting with the third at-bat of Saturday’s game and stretching into Sunday’s second game.
Lewis’ triple in Game 1 was his ninth, setting a UMaine single-season record. He broke the previous mark held by Amel Lizonak and set in 1932.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” he said of the triples record. “I’m glad that it helped out the team and we got a win out of it. I’m glad that we won the series.”
UMaine beat Albany twice in a row for the first time since 2005. The Great Danes had won 15 of the previous 18 meetings.
Ninth Inning
Albany
Jeff Welsh popped out to shortstop
Pete DiResta struck out swinging
Adam Cutspec struck out swinging
Maine wins 11-5
Maine
Tyler Patzalek hit hard single to left field, took second on wild pitch
Taylor Lewis hit sacrifice fly to center field, Patzalek scores, Maine leads 9-5
Ian Leisenheimer walked
Mike Baltera on to pitch for Albany
Matt Howard hit by a pitch, runners at first and second
Runners advanced on a wild pitch in the dirt
Justin Leisenheimer walked, bases loaded
Christian Garcia on to pitch for Albany
Tony Patane hit by pitch, RBI, bases loaded, Maine leads 10-5
Michael Fransoso grounds out to first base, RBI, runners to second and third Maine leads 11-5
Joe Mercurio called out on strikes
3 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB; Maine 11, Albany 5
Eighth Inning
Albany
Brian Bullard flared single over the second baseman’s head (first hit allowed by Bazdanes)
Brendan Rowland fouled out to second baseman
Pete Eichner struck out swinging; Bullard stole second on the play
Ralph Keppler gounded out to second base
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 8, Albany 5
Maine
Brian Gauthier now pitching for Albany
Tony Patane walked
Michael Fransoso laid down sacrifice bunt 1-4, Patane to second base
Joe Mercurio flied out to center
Joey Martin flied out to center field
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 8, Albany 5
Seventh Inning
Albany
Pete DiResta struck out swinging
Adam Cutspec grounded out to first base
Nolan Gaige walked
Kyle Crean bounced out to first
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB
Maine
Taylor Lewis drew a leadoff walk
Ian Leisenheimer grounded into 5-4-3 double play
Matt Howard hustled out double on hard shot to left field
Lefty Greg Lutton on to pitch for Albany
Justin Leisenheimer grounded out to third base
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors,1 LOB; Maine 8, Albany
Sixth Inning
Albany
Pete Eichner struck out swinging
Ralph Keppler fouled out to catcher
Jeff Welsh grounded out to second base
Nothing across… Maine 8, Albany 5
Maine
Tony Patane hit towering home run to center field, Maine leads 8-5
Michael Fransoso grounded single through left side
Joe Mercurio flied out to center field
Kevin Bartlett now on to pitch for Albany
Michael Fransoso grounded single through left side
Joe Mercurio flied out to center field
Fransoso took second on wild pitch
Joey Martin struck out on foul tip
Tyler Patzalek flied out to center
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 8, Albany 5
Fifth Inning
Albany
Kyle Crean struck out swinging
Brian Bullard bunted, thrown out by third baseman Patzalek on nice play
Brendan Rowland flied out to right field
Nothing across…. Black Bears lead 7-5
Maine
Tyler Patzalek grounded hard single through the middle
Taylor Lewis grounded into 6-4 fielder’s choice, stole second, took third on throwing error by catcher
Ian Leisenheimer walked, runners at first and third
Lewis scored, Leisenheimer took second on wild pitch; Maine 7, Albany 5
Matt Howard called out on strikes
Justin Leisenheimer popped out to first base
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 7, Albany 5
Fourth Inning
Albany
Kyle Crean popped out to second base
Brian Bullard served single to right field
Brendan Rowland lashed a single to left feld, Bullard moved to third
Pete Eichner hit by pitch, bases loaded
Ralph Keppler drew bases-loaded walk, RBI
Jeff Welsh called out on strikes
Pete DiResta reached on infield single, RBI, off shortstop Patane’s glove, bases remain loaded, Maine leads 6-2
Adam Cutspec pulled double inside third-base bag, scored three runs, Maine 6, Albany 5
A.J. Bazdanes on to pitch, replacing Matt Jebb
Nolan Gaige soft liner to shortstop for third out
5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 6, Albany 5
Maine
Lefthander Ryan White now pitching for Albany
Michael Fransoso struck out swinging
Joe Mercurio called out on strikes
Joey Martin bounced out to second base
Nothing across… Maine leads 6-0
Fourth Inning
Albany
Pete DiResta groundd out to shortstop
Adam Cutspec grounded out to second base
Nolan Gaige flied out to center field
Nothing across…. UMaine 6, Albany 0
Maine
Tyler Patzalek hard single past third base
Taylor Lewis flied out to center field, ending a streak of eight consecutive hits
Ian Leisenheimer rammed RBI double down left-field line
Matt Howard flied out to left
Justin Leisenheimer rapped RBI double to right-center, Maine leads 6-0
Tony Patane called out on strikes
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 6, Albany 0
Third Inning
Albany
Brendan Rowland popped up to second base
Pete Eichner walked
Ralph Keppler struck out swinging
Jeff Welsh lined out to shortstop
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 4, Albany 0
Maine
Justin Leisenheimer cranked solo home run to left, Maine leads 4-0
Tony Patane struck out swinging
Michael Fransoso grounded single to center field (took second on wild pitch)
Joe Mercurio infield single off third baseman, runners at first and third
Joey Martin hard groundout to first base
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB; Maine 4, Albany 0
Second Game
First Inning
Albany
Senior righthander Matt Jebb pitching for Maine
Nolan Gaige bounced single through the box, off Jebb’s glove
Kyle Crean lined out to right field
Brian Bullard grounded into 6-4-3 double play
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB; Maine 3, Albany 0
Maine
Kasceim Graham pitching for Albany
Michael Fransoso struck out swinging
Joe Mercurio fouled out to the catcher
Joey Martin grounded single through the middle
Tyler Patzalek walked, runners at first and second
Taylor Lewis (7-for-his-last-7) cranked three-run home run to left, Maine leads 3-0
Ian Leisenheimer grounded out to third base
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB, Maine 3, Albany 0
Maine wins game one, 9-2
ALBANY, N.Y. — Freshman righthander Jeff Gibbs scattered four hits through 6 1/3 innings Sunday afternoon, leading the University of Maine to a 9-2 America East baseball victory over the University at Albany in the first game of a doubleheader at Varsity Field.
Gibbs (4-2) was in command from the outset. He struck out eight, walked three and hit a batter before giving way to Justin Latta, who got the final two outs in the seventh inning of a scheduled seven-inning game.
Taylor Lewis sparked the offense for the Black Bears (16-14, 1-1 AE), hitting for the cycle. He doubled and scored in the second inning, singled in the third, hit a solo home run in the fifth and tripled in the sixth.
Lewis’ triple was the ninth of the season, setting a UMaine single-season record. He broke the previous mark held by Amel Lizonak and set in 1932.
Joe Mecurio hit a two-run homer and an RBI single for UMaine, while Tony Patane added an RBI double and a single.
Jeff Welsh singled twice for Albany (2-21, 1-1 AE) and Nolan Gaige hit a solo homer.
Seventh Inning
Albany
Pete Eichner popped up to shortstop
Jeff Welch high-chop infield single to third base
Kyle Crean walked, runners at first and second
(Jeff Gibbs replaced by Justin Latta, submarining righthander)
Adam Cutspec, ground-ball RBI single to left, runners at first and second, Maine leads 9-2
Nolan Gaige flied out to shortstop, left-field line, runners held
Pete DiResta fouled out to the catcher
Maine wins 9-2
Maine
Myckie Lugbauer walked, advanced on wild pitch
Tony Patane grounded out to third base, runner stayed at second
Michael Fransoso grounded out to second base, Lugbauer moved to third
Joe Mercurio grounded out to the pitcher
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 9, Albany 1
Sixth Inning
Albany
(George Tager now playing right field for Maine)
Adam Cutspec flied out to center field
Nolan Gaige pounded home run to right-center, Maine 9, Albany 1
Pete DiResta hit by a pitch
Brian Bullard lined single to right, runners at first and third
Brendan Rowland fouled out to catcher, Myckie Lugbauer with sliding catch near fence
Bullard stole second, runners at second and third
Keppler struck out swinging
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB, Maine 9, Albany 1
Maine
Tyler Patzalek grounded out to second base
Taylor Lewis lined triple to left-center, set UMaine single-season record for triples with his ninth of the season; Lewis also hit for the cycle, with a single, double, triple and home run in the same game
Pat Thibodeau struck out, out 2-3
Matt Howard called out on strikes
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 9, Albany 0
Fifth Inning
Albany
Pete Eichner walked on four pitches
Jeff Welsh grounded into 4-6-3 double play
Kyle Crean struck out swinging
Nothing across… Maine leads 9-0
Maine
Taylor Lewis crushed home run over the scoreboard in right field, Maine leads 5-0
Ian Leisenheimer hit by a pitch; Pat Thibodeau came on to pinch run
Matt Howard laid down sacrifice bunt, out 2-4, Thibodeau advanced to second
Myckie Lugbauer called out on strikes
Tony Patane lashed an RBI double to left-center, Maine leads 6-0
Nick Sessa on to pitch for Albany, replacing Zach Kraham
Michael Fransoso pulled RBI single between first and second, Maine leads 7-0
Joe Mercurio yanked a two-run homer to left field, Maine leads 9-0
Joey Martin fouled out to left field
5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB; Maine 9, Albany 0
Fourth Inning
Albany
Brian Bullard struck out swinging
Brendan Rowland popped out to third base, nifty lunging catch down line by Tyler Patzalek
Ralph Keppler stuck out swinging
Nothing across… UMaine 4, Albany 0
Maine
Tony Patane walked
Michael Fransoso laid down sacrifice bunt, Patane moved to second
Joe Mercurio laced ground-ball RBI single through the middle, Maine leads 4-0
Joey Martin struck out swinging
Tyler Patzalek flied out to left field
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Maine 4, Albany 0
Third Inning
Albany
Adam Cutspec struck out swinging
Nolan Gaige flied out to center field
Pete DiResta grounded out to pitcher
Nothing across… Maine 3, Albany 0
Maine
Joe Mercurio flies out to center field
Joey Martin called out on strikes
Tyler Patzalek walked
Taylor Lewis fisted single to center, runners at first and second
Ian Leisenheimer reached on throwing error by third baseman, bases loaded
Matt Howard hit by pitch, RBI, bases still loaded, Maine leads 3-0
Myckie Lugbauer called out on strikes
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 3 LOB; Maine leads 3-0
Second Inning
Albany
Brendan Rowland reached on pop-fly single that landed in front of home plate
Ralph Keppler strikes out swinging
Rowland caught stealing, 2-4, Fransoso with nifty tag after fielding high throw
Pete Eichner walks
Jeff Welsh scorches single to right-center, runners at first and third
Kyle Crean bounces out to pitcher
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB; Maine leads 2-0
Maine
Tyler Patzalek ground-ball single to left
Taylor Lewis drives high, wind-blown double to left-center, runners at second and third
Ian Leisenheimer RBI groundout to third base, runner moves to third base
Matt Howard strikes out swinging
Myckie Lugbauer line-drive RBI single to right, Maine leads 2-0
Tony Patane hard single to left, runners at first and second
Michael Fransoso strikes out swinging
2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base; Maine leads 2-0
First Inning
Albany
Nolan Gaige struck out swinging
Pete DiResta struck out swinging
Brian Bullard grounded out to first base
No score after one inning
Maine
Michael Fransoso called out on strikes
Joe Mercurio popped out to second base
Joey Martin grounds out to shortstop, diving stop by SS Kyle Crean to save a base hit
Pregame notes
The sun is shining, but the wind is still blowing at Varsity Field in Albany. Game time temperature will be 60 degrees, with a gusty wind blowing out of the west/northwest at 24 mph.
Freshman righthander Jeff Gibbs gets the start for the Black Bears. He is 3-2 with a team-best 4.54 earned run average with 41 strikeouts and 20 walks in 39 2/3 innings.
Junior righty Matt Jebb (1-3, 5.63 ERA) is expected to pitch Game 2.
UMaine had its seven-game winning streak snapped in Saturday’s 11-10 loss to Albany.