PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida — The University of Maine baseball team’s spring trip got off to a tough start Friday when the Black Bears lost games to St. Bonaventure and North Dakota State, both by 4-3 scores.
Senior righthander Connor Grey scattered six hits and three runs in seven innings to lead St. Bonaventure by Maine. He struck out four and walked four.
Ted Dilts’ solo home run in the fifth inning gave the Bonnies (6-2) the winning edge. He also had an RBI single in the third inning, following an RBI single by David Vaccaro.
Tommy LaCongo’s RBI double in the second inning accounted for the Bonnies’ first run.
Maine sophomore righthander John Arel was reached for eight hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out five.
Sophomore lefty Connor Johnson came on to pitch two shutout innings, striking out one and allowing one hit.
Freshman Colin Ridley drove in two runs for Maine with an RBI double in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the seventh. Ridley plated Brenden Geary with a one-out double after Geary had walked. After a walk to Jake Osborne, Ridley scored on an infield error.
In the second game, the Bison rallied for two eighth-inning runs to earn the win after the Black Bears had taken a 3-2 lead.
Maine senior righthander Charlie Butler started the inning by hitting Alec Abercrombie with a pitch and then threw a wild pitch to put Abercrombie on second. Brayden Resch then smacked a double down the right-field line to score Abercrombie.
Butler then gave up a single to Mason Pierzchalski and senior righty Logan Fullmer came on in relief. After a wild pitch advanced pinch runner Andy Wicklund to second base, Fullmer struck out Jayse McLean.
Ben Peterson was then intentionally walked to load the bases and Juan Gamez hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in the winning run.
Maine scored its first run on Jake Osborne’s RBI single to left in the fifth inning. Zach Quintal scored after drawing a one-out walk and stealing second.
The Bears added two runs in the seventh when Ridley cranked a two-run home run to right. Geary scored after leading off with a single to right center.
Maine (3-6) resumes its spring schedule with a 10 a.m. Monday game against St. Bonaventure in Port Charlotte.
Correction: Updates with Maine’s Colin Ridley with an RBI double and home run in its game against St. Bonaventure.