Baseball
MAINE vs. NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Time, site: 1:30 p.m. Friday (2), 1 p.m. Saturday (2), Mahaney Diamond, Orono
Records: Maine 5-20, New York Tech 11-15
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 24-13-1; NYIT 8-6 on May 2, 2015
Key players: Maine — 3B Danny Casals (.295, 2 home runs, 6 runs batted in, 5 stolen bases), CF Colin Ridley (.277-2-11), C Kevin Stypulkowski (.270-1-6), RF Tyler Schwanz (.247-2-14), LF Brett Chappell (.234-2-11); NYIT — CF Joe Daru (.388-2-18-11), 3B Louis Mele (.297-3-17), DH Anthony Caradonna (.268-1-10)
Pitching matchups: Maine — RH Chris Murphy (0-1, 10.22 earned run average, 12 strikeouts), RH John Arel (0-5, 4.76, 32 K), RH Justin Courtney (1-3, 3.16, 24 K), RH Logan Fullmer (0-1, 1.16, 32 K); NYIT — RH Dixon Marble (3-2, 2.34, 19 K), LH David Plotkin (2-1, 1.71, 21 K), RH Matt Diaz (1-2, 3.95, 27 K), RH Elias Martinez (2-2, 5.17, 30 K)
Game notes: The Black Bears are in desperate need of some confidence as they look to break an eight-game losing streak with a nonconference series against the Bears from Long Island, New York. UMaine has scored only nine runs during the skid and has been shut out three times. Both teams have been unproductive with the bats as the Black Bears are hitting .228 as a team and are scoring only 3.1 runs per game while NYIT checks in at .229 (3.9 rpg). NYIT is a Division I independent program. UMaine’s Nos. 3-4-5 batters are a combined 7-for-81 (.086). They include Schwanz (3-for-27, .111), Chappell (0-for-20) and Stypulkowski (4-for-34, .118).
Softball
MAINE vs. UMASS LOWELL
Time, site: Friday 3 p.m.; Saturday noon (2), Kessock Field, Orono
Records: Maine 12-13 (1-1 in America East); UML 5-26 (0-6 AE)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 5-0, Maine 6-3 on April 12, 2015
Key players: Maine — C Janelle Bouchard (.402-1 homers-19 RBIs, 18 runs), LF Rachel Harvey (.347-2-12), DP Maddie Decker (.333-2-12); 2B-3B Meghan Royle (.329-1-8), CF Rachel Carlson (.324-0-9), DP-3B Alyssa Derrick (.309-6-25); RF Erika Leonard (.266-0-7, 11 stolen bases); UML — 2B Tori Alcorn (.367-2-7, 14 stolen bases), SS Alisha Welch (.326-1-17), DP Brianna West (.253-0-5), C Kate Mims (.229-0-4), 3B Sydney Barker (.224-0-4), CF Samantha McQueen (.220-1-10), 1B Vanessa Cooper (.209)
Pitching matchups: Maine — RH Molly Flowers (7-6, 2.64 ERA, 80 strikeouts in 61 innings), LH Erin Bogdanovich (2-4, 5.44), RH Annie Kennedy (3-3, 2.89); UML — RH Sydney Wash (2-8, 2.58), RH Kaysee Talcik (2-8, 3.78), RH Lauren Ramirez (0-6, 5.28)
Game notes: It’s the home opener for the Black Bears. Maine snapped a four-game losing streak in home openers with a 2-0 win over Albany last year. The River Hawks have lost 17 of their last 18 games primarily due to a lack of run production. They have been held to one run or less in 11 of those losses. Maine is coming off a split at Stony Brook. Talcik has 10 complete games in 11 starts and Wash has eight in her 13 starts. Both have pitched well. Freshman Derrick has made her hits count. Her 25 RBIs have come on 25 hits. Maine is hitting .294 and is averaging 5.16 runs per game. The River Hawks are at .229 and 2.32, respectively. Kennebunk senior Bouchard has struck out just five times in 25 games and leads the team in hits with 33.