Scott Heath’s two-run double highlighted a four-run, eighth-inning uprising Wednesday night that lifted the University of Maine baseball team to an 11-8 victory over Bethune-Cookman at Daytona Beach, Florida.
Even though the Black Bears pitching staff surrendered 20 hits, the bullpen turned in a strong performance as four relievers combined to allow only three runs over the final 7⅔ innings after the host scored five times in the first two frames.
Scott Heath of Westbrook drove in three runs with a double, a single and a sacrifice fly, while Kevin Stypulkowski posted two singles and drove in two runs. Shane Bussey tripled, singled and scored three times and Sam Balzano of Portland doubled, singled and scored three runs for UMaine (4-9).
Freshman right-hander Clay Conaway (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win, allowing three hits and a run in two innings of relief. Charlie Butler earned his second save despite giving up six hits and a run in two innings.
Mijon Cummings sparked the offense for Bethune-Cookman (1-12) with a double, two singles and two RBIs. Brandon Amendolare stroked a double and two singles, while Nathan Bond and Austin Garcia each collected three singles.
The Wildcats stranded 14 base runners in the contest.
Christian Garabedian opened the eighth inning with a single against losing pitcher Juan Pizarro. Bussey walked, then Balzano reached on a throwing error by the pitcher on his sacrifice bunt attempt.
One out later, Heath delivered a two-run double to tie the contest, then Morrill grounded out to plate the go-ahead run, then Stypulkowski delivered a run-scoring single to give the Black Bears a two-run lead.
UMaine came back with two more runs in the ninth on an RBI triple by Bussey and Balzano’s squeeze bunt, making the hosts’ single tally in the inning moot.
Each team scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the second, before the Wildcats grabbed the lead in the fourth against Logan Fullmer, who had relieved starter Jonah Normandeau.
A leadoff double by Bryant Munoz and a one-out sacrifice fly off the bat of Bond made it 6-5, then Bethune-Cookman made it 7-5 in the seventh against Conaway. Zach Olszewski led off with a double and rode home on Garcia’s single to left.
UMaine, which left two runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings, finally broke through in the eighth.
The Black Bears are off on Thursday, then open a three-game series against the University of Florida on Friday at Gainesville.