ORONO, Maine — Binghamton University pitchers continued their dominance of the University of Maine on Sunday, completing a sweep of their America East series by blanking the Black Bears 2-0 in 12 innings.
Over the course of 30 innings, UMaine baseball scored two runs and managed only 14 hits against the Bearcats. The Black Bears have lost six straight.
The shutout came on the heels of Saturday’s doubleheader which Binghamton swept 6-1 and 8-1.
On Sunday, Jake Wloczewski and Rob Hardy combined to limit UMaine to five hits for the Bearcats (7-14, 3-0 AE), who registered a 0.60 earned run average in the series.
Wloczewski scattered two hits through the first seven innings, then Hardy (1-2) spaced three hits over the last five frames. Freshman Caleb Kerbs doubled and singled for UMaine, which had three runners thrown out trying to steal and got only one man in scoring position.
Coach Steve Trimper’s ballclub (5-18, 0-3 AE) squandered a superb starting performance by Logan Fullmer. The senior right-hander, who has served as UMaine’s closer since last season, was moved into a starting role.
Fullmer, featuring a nifty slider and a well-located fastball, allowed only three singles while posting career highs of nine innings and 10 strikeouts. He had pitched 8⅓ innings this season prior to Sunday.
Sophomore righty John Arel (0-4) did not allow a hit but took the loss in relief after committing two throwing errors in the pivotal 12th inning.
Binghamton played “small ball” to break the scoreless tie. Eddie Posavec ignited the winning rally with a bunt on the left side that Arel fielded but threw wide of first.
Jason Agresti moved Posavec to third with a sacrifice bunt, before Arel walked Pat Britt. Paul Rufo then laid down a pretty safety squeeze bunt that Arel let roll for a long time before making a wide toss to first.
Chris McGee followed with another squeeze bunt that scored pinch runner Daniel Franchi.
UMaine’s only serious scoring threat came in the third inning. Kerbs laced a double over the left fielder’s head and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Jeremy Pena.
However, Wlozcewski struck out Danny Casals and retired Colin Ridley on a hard grounder to first base.
The Black Bears worked walks in each of the next three innings, but Brenden Geary, Casals and Kevin Stypulkowski all were caught stealing.
In the ninth, Pena ripped a single past third base to start the inning, but was erased on Casals’ double-play grounder. The Black Bears have scored only eight runs combined in their last six games.
Binghamton put runners in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and 11th, but could not score.