Baseball
MAINE vs. STONY BROOK
Time, site: noon Saturday (2), noon Sunday; Joe Nathan Field, Stony Brook, New York
Records: Maine 5-18 (0-2 America East), Stony Brook 8-12 (1-1)
Series, last meeting: SBU leads 40-28, SBU 8-5, 3-1 on 4/3/15
Key players: Maine — 3B Danny Casals (.310, 2 home runs, 6 runs batted in, 5 stolen bases), C Kevin Stypulkowski (.274-1-6), RF Tyler Schwanz (.253-3-13), CF Brett Chappell (.250-2-11-4), SS Jeremy Pena (.225-1-4-3); SBU — LF Andruw Gazzola (.347-1-7), CF Toby Handley (.320-0-6-4), 1B Johnny Caputo (.274-2-12), 2B Jack Parenty (.273-0-15-4), RF Casey Baker (.258-0-16)
Pitching matchups: Maine — RH Justin Courtney (1-3, 2.64 earned run average, 17 strikeouts), RH Logan Fullmer (0-1, 1.56, 27), RH Jonah Normandeau (0-2, 5.25, 17); Stony Brook — RH Chad Lee (2-2, 1.82, 19), LH Tyler Honahan (2-3, 7.89, 18), RH Cameron Stone (0-2, 9.00, 11)
Game notes: The Black Bears look to snap a six-game losing streak coming off a three-game home sweep at the hands of Binghamton. UMaine scored only two runs in 30 innings. The Seawolves have lost three in a row and four of their last five. Stony Brook is batting .264, averaging 5 runs per game, but has a team ERA of 5.32 and has allowed 182 hits in 165⅔ innings. The Seawolves have taken five in a row from UMaine. The Black Bears have struggled mightily at the plate, batting only .229 as a team with a lineup that includes four freshman regulars. Courtney hopes to bounce back after a subpar outing in last Saturday’s 6-1 loss, while Fullmer (27 strikeouts in 17⅓ innings) earned another start. Chappell and Schwanz need to get back into a good offensive groove hitting in the Nos. 3-4 spots.
Softball
MAINE vs. STONY BROOK
Time, site: 1 p.m. Saturday (2), 11 a.m. Sunday, University Field, Stony Brook, New York
Records: Maine 11-12 (0-0 America East); Stony Brook 10-16-1 (2-1)
Series, last meeting: Stony Brook leads 21-8-1, SBU 2-1 (9 inns.) on 4/19/15
Key players: Maine — C Janelle Bouchard (.405, 1 homer, 17 runs batted in), LF Rachel Harvey (.354-2-12), 3B Maddie Decker (.348-2-12), 3B-2B Meghan Royle (.333-1-8), CF Rachel Carlson (.324-0-7), OF-DP-IF Alyssa Derrick (.311-6-24); RF Erika Leonard (.247-0-6, 11 stolen bases); Stony Brook — C Allie Pisciotta (.333-2-12), LF Diane Caruso (.301-3-15), RF Kellie Reynolds (.280-0-7), C Irene Rivera (.274-1-9), 2B Patty Borges (.250-1-7), 3B Chelsea Evans (.244-2-9), SS Lexie Shue (.238-0-6)
Pitching matchups: Maine — RH Molly Flowers (7-5, 2.33 earned-run average, 79 strikeouts in 57 innings), RH Annie Kennedy (3-3, 3.02), LH Erin Bogdanovich (1-4, 5.90); Stony Brook — LH Jane Sallen (7-10, 3.44; RH Maddy Neales (3-4, 4.65)
Game notes: Maine has won just one of the last nine meetings with the Seawolves, but two-time America East first-team pitcher Allison Cukrov has graduated. Sophomore Neales was the league’s Pitcher of the Week last week after allowing just one earned run over 12⅔ innings. And Rivera was the Rookie of the Week as she hit .400 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs. Stony Brook is hitting .245 compared to Maine’s .294 average. The Seawolves have missed the departed Bria Green (.435-19-52) and Shayla Giosia (.382-12-46). Maine will have to play solid defense after making four errors in a 10-9 loss to Rhode Island. Flowers has been outstanding but Kennedy and Bogdanovich need to rebound after poor outings.