Luke Morrill doubled home Scott Heath in the top of the 12th inning on Saturday afternoon, lifting the University of Maine to a 6-5 victory over the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the first game of an America East baseball doubleheader at Alumni Field in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Retrievers bounced back to win the nightcap 3-2 and went on to beat the Bears 6-3 on Sunday to win the series.
Maine, battling for a playoff berth, fell to 5-9 in America East and 15-22 overall while Hartford improved to 7-9 in the league and 20-16 overall.
On Sunday, the Retrievers broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run eighth inning courtesy of two big extra-base hits. Mitchell Carroll’s triple to right center plated the first run and Kevin Lachance followed with a two-run homer to left field, providing UMBC with a comfortable cushion.
Maine’s Charlie Butler gave up the three runs and his record dipped to 3-5. He gave up four hits and struck out a batter in three innings of relief of starter Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes, who gave up three runs and nine hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked a batter.
Designated hitter Danny Diaz put the Bears on the board first with a solo home run to left in the fifth, but the Retrievers responded in their half of the inning when Vince Corbi blasted an RBI double and Nick Naumann and Andrew Casali each chipped in with an RBI single.
Maine came back with two runs in the top of the sixth as Morrill cranked a solo homer to left and Jake Osborne scored on a wild pitch. Osborne was pinch running for Kevin Stypulkowski, who doubled. Osborne advanced to third on Brenden Geary’s single.
In Saturday’s opener, Logan Fullmer (1-1) pitched five innings of scoreless relief, allowing only three hits, to pick up the win in relief of Heath. The junior right-hander struck out three and walked one.
Heath had given up six hits and five runs (three earned) with three strikeouts and five walks through the first seven innings.
Morrill added a single and Heath doubled twice and scored two runs for UMaine. Sam Balzano doubled and singled with an RBI, while Brian Doran (RBI) and Geary each posted two singles among 13 hits for the Black Bears.
Naumann hit two singles for UMBC (19-16, 6-8 AE), while Hunter Dolshun knocked in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly. Casali and Anthony Gatto each chipped in with a single and an RBI.
Reliever Dennis Mikush (3-2) suffered the loss, surrendering five hits and two runs in four innings with five strikeouts and a lone walk.
UMaine erased a 5-1 deficit to force extra innings. The Bears scored three times in the sixth.
Heath got the rally started with a double to right field and moved to third on Brett Chappell’s infield single. Both runners scored when Morrill’s fly ball to center was dropped.
Cory Callahan came on to replace Matt Chanin on the mound and gave up an RBI infield single to Doran to cut the deficit to 5-4.
The Bears tied it in the ninth against Mikush. Geary beat out an infield hit, then pinch runner Osborne took second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Shane Bussey. Balzano followed, slicing an RBI double down the left-field line.
The Retrievers got the potential winning run to third in the ninth and had a runner at second in the 10th and the 11th, but could not get the big hit against Fullmer.
In the second game, Conrad Wozniak scattered five hits to help UMBC salvage a split. The righty struck out seven and walked four, allowing only one earned run. He threw 122 pitches.
Casali’s solo home run in the fifth inning off losing pitcher Justin Courtney (2-5) proved to be the difference.
Gatto sparked the UMBC offense with an RBI single in the first inning and a run-scoring double in the third. Corbi singled twice and scored two runs, while Dolshun provided a double and a single.
Courtney spread out eight hits over six innings and struck out four. He did not walk anyone but did hit a batter.
Heath stroked an RBI double in the third and Steven Adam provided a run-scoring single with two outs in the seventh to trim the deficit to one run.
However, Wozniak got Heath to fly out to left field to end the contest.