ORONO, Maine — It was three-plus weeks of frustration over a span of 10 games. At long last, the University of Maine ended its protracted losing streak on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Colin Ridley launched a grand slam that keyed a six-run third inning, sparking the Black Bears to an 8-5 victory over the New York Institute of Technology in the first game of a doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond.
UMaine (7-22) then put together its first two-game win streak of the season, completing the sweep with a 4-1 verdict behind the pitching of senior Logan Fullmer.
“There’s definitely a lot more energy right now,” Ridley said outside the UMaine locker room.
“Music’s playing and everybody’s in there dancing around,” he added. “We’re just trying to get that (winning) feeling back and keep the momentum going.”
The victories were the first for coach Steve Trimper’s Black Bears since an 11-6, 10-inning win over Lehigh on March 16.
Freshman Danny Casals sparked the offense for UMaine with six singles and two RBIs in the twinbill while Ridley finished with three hits and knocked in seven runs.
“What you saw today is the type of team that we should be,” Trimper said.
“Hopefully, we’re turning the corner and I think that’s really what we’re trying to do,” he added.
In the opener, UMaine halted the skid behind the solid pitching and a six-run second inning.
Justin Courtney of Bangor and Nick Silva combined on a six-hitter. Casals paced UMaine with four singles and an RBI. Junior Tyler Schwanz (double) and sophomore Caleb Kerbs each posted two hits.
Courtney (2-3) was steady but unspectacular. The sophomore right-hander allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) with five strikeouts, a walk and two hit batsmen.
Silva, a freshman righty, made a three-run lead stand up over the last three innings. He used a lively fastball to strike out five while holding NYIT (13-17) hitless.
Frank Sanacore doubled and singled to lead the visiting Bears, who got a three-run double from Eliot’s Jake Lebel, who played at Marshwood High School.
UMaine scratched out a run in the first inning against NYIT starter Dixon Marble (3-3), but the visitors countered with a single unearned run in the third on Louis Mele’s RBI single.
The Black Bears broke the game open in the third.
Kerbs hustled out an infield single to get things started, then Casals bunted his way on for a base hit. Jeremy Pena followed with another bunt single, one of four on the day for UMaine, which added three sac bunts.
“We haven’t been swinging it that well, so we tried to do something else that helped us produce more runs,” Casals said.
Marble plated the first run of the inning when he hit Kevin Stypulkowski with a pitch, then Ridley crushed a 2-0 offering far beyond the right-field fence for a home run that gave UMaine a 6-0 advantage and sent the dugout into jubilant celebration.
“It’s a game-changer,” Fullmer said of the grand slam. “That took the momentum, gave it to us.”
Brett Chappell singled, Schwanz laced a double to right-center and Brenden Geary added a sacrifice fly to give the Bears a commanding 7-1 lead.
NYIT rallied for four runs in the sixth, reaching Courtney for three hits, including Robert Fiato’s run-scoring double and Lebel’s three-run double. However, Courtney buckled down to get the last two outs.
Silva took over and allowed one baserunner, a hit batsman.
“Silva did a good job. He really came in throwing hard and throwing strikes,” Trimper said.
In Game 2, Fullmer continued his superb work as a starter, shutting down the Bears on four hits. The senior righty (1-1) struck out 11 and walked one.
He baffled NYIT with his late-breaking slider and mixed in enough fastballs to keep them off balance.
“I threw, frankly, a lot more sliders than fastballs today, but it was definitely working pretty well,” Fullmer said.
Ridley and Casals each singled twice for UMaine, while Lebel posted an RBI double for NYIT.
NYIT grabbed the lead in the second inning as Sanacore and Lebel laced opposite-field doubles to right off Fullmer, who surrendered only two hits the rest of the way. Both of those runners were erased on double-play grounders back to the mound in the sixth and seventh innings.
The hosts turned three double plays in the game.
UMaine scored all the runs it would need in the second against starter David Plotkin (2-2). Jake Osborne opened with a single through the middle, Jon Salcedo walked and both advanced on Kerbs’ sacrifice bunt.
The first run scored on a wild pitch, then Casals delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to make it 2-1.
“We knew we would click at one point,” Casals said of the offense.
“These last two games was a product of what we can do and what we’re capable of doing,” he added.
Fullmer retired nine of the next 10 men he faced, with a wild pitch on a strikeout accounting for the only baserunner.
The Black Bears finally provided Fullmer with some breathing room in the sixth inning. Kerbs was hit by a pitch, then reached second when shortstop Sanacore failed to handle the throw from reliever Frank Valentino on Pena’s grounder.
Stypulkowski lined a single to center, setting the stage for Ridley’s sharp, two-run single through the right side that made it 4-1.
“The thing about baseball is, once you get a few things going, it’s a domino effect,” Ridley said.
UMaine next plays Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Division III Thomas College of Waterville.