AUBURNDALE, Florida — Cooper Mrowka’s RBI double highlighted a two-run sixth inning on Friday afternoon that lifted the University of Massachusetts to a 5-3 baseball victory over the University of Maine at Micky Etherton Field.
The Minutemen added an insurance run in the seventh to improve to 2-7.
Dylan Morris cranked a two-run home run and a single to lead UMass’s 10-hit attack, while John Jennings tripled and singled and Brett Evangelista singled twice.
Ryan Moloney spaced six hits and three runs (two earned) through 7⅔ innings to pick up the win on the mound. He struck out two and walked one.
Evan Mackintosh fanned two while pitching 1 ⅓ innings in relief.
Brett Chappell posted two singles and an RBI among only six hits for UMaine (5-13), while Danny Casals also singled twice.
Sophomore John Arel gave up seven hits and four runs while striking out eight and walking two in six innings. Charlie Butler pitched two innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.
With the score tied 2-2, UMass scored twice in the sixth. Hunter Carey was issued a four-pitch walk and scored when Mrowka doubled down the line in left. Ryan Lever followed with a single and Vinny Scifo walked, setting up Jon Avallone’s run-scoring fielder’s choice.
The Minutemen added an insurance run in the seventh against Jake Marks when Jennings ripped a two-out triple and scored on Carey’s single to center.
UMaine got one run back in the eighth by virtue of a one-out single by Casals, a hit batsman and a two-out single to center by Chappell. After Evan Stypulkowski walked, Colin Ridley lined out to second base.
UMass jumped on top 2-0 in the first on Evangelista’s single and a two-run blast to right by Morris. The Black Bears equalized in the bottom of the inning.
Casals and Pena each singled, leading to Tyler Schwanz’s sacrifice fly. Chappell followed with a single, then Stypulkowski reached on a fielder’s choice and the second run scored on an error.