ORONO, Maine — Colin Ridley’s two-run triple and RBI singles by Jeremy Pena, Kevin Stypulkowski and Brenden Geary highlighted a five-run seventh-inning rally as the University of Maine erased a 3-1 deficit to beat the University of Maryland, Baltimore County 7-5 at Mahaney Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, Maine won the opener 6-3 before the Retrievers rallied for a 3-1 win in the nightcap on Connor Hax’s three-run homer in the seventh inning.
On Sunday, the Black Bears (10-23, 2-6 AE) erupted in the seventh off relievers Denis Mikush and Jonny Dierks after starter Cory Callahan had tossed six innings of four-hit, one-run ball.
Caleb Kerbs and Danny Casals drew one-out walks off Mikush before he was replaced by Dierks. Pena greeted him with an RBI hit and Stypulkowski pulled Maine within 4-3 with his single.
Ridley then pulled a triple down the right-field line to give UMaine, which has won five of its last six, the lead.
“Ridley had been struggling with the breaking ball but (Dierks) hung one and he hit it down the line,” said UMaine coach Steve Trimper.
One out later, Geary delivered Ridley.
Pena provided UMaine with an insurance run in the eighth as his two-out single drove in Kerbs, who had singled and advanced on a fielder’s choice.
Freshman Nick Silva (2-1) tossed five innings of six-hit, three-run ball to earn the win in relief of classmate Chris Murphy.
“Silva was getting a little tired but we wanted to stay with him because he was throwing a ton of strikes,” said Trimper. “Murphy did a good job but struggled with his command. He kept us close.”
Silva didn’t walk anyone and struck out three after Murphy had walked five and fanned seven in four innings. Murphy allowed three hits and two runs.
“It came down to our bullpen against their bullpen and their bullpen was up (with their pitches) a little bit,” said Trimper.
Pena had a triple and two singles for the Black Bears and Geary and Brett Chappell had two singles each. Pena, Stypulkowski and Ridley each drove in two runs.
Kevin Lachance belted a solo homer and a single for the Retrievers (16-16, 6-5 AE) while Anthony Gatto (2 RBIs) and Andrew Casali (RBI) had a double and a single each.
“It was a great series,” said Trimper. “UMBC is one of the top dogs in the league right now. They have an older team and they’re a great offensive team. To win this series was huge.”
On Saturday, Maine two outs from completing a sweep but Hax homered to right off John Arel in the seven-inning affair.
“It’s unfortunate. We’re only one pitch away from a double play right there, one pitch away from getting out of that,” Trimper said.
Arel locked up in a pitching duel against UMBC senior Conrad Wozniak, the 2015 America East Pitcher of the Year.
The sophomore right-hander had limited the league’s top hitting team to four hits heading into the seventh with the Black Bears leading 1-0. It didn’t stand up.
Arel (0-6) had retired seven straight before Casali grounded a leadoff single to center field and A.J. Wright squirted an infield single toward the middle. Tim Kelly fouled out bringing up Hax, who stroked an 0-1 pitch over the hedge beyond the right-field fence.
“Kev called for a slider and it was a good call for a pitch, I just didn’t bury it,” Arel explained.
Wozniak (5-2) retired the last nine men he faced. He allowed five hits while striking out nine and walking two.
Wright singled twice among seven hits against Arel, who struck out four and hit a batter, but did not issue a walk.
Chappell lined a solo home run in the fourth to account for UMaine’s only run. Geary added a double.
“He really kept everybody on their toes,” Chappell said of Wozniak’s ability to mix his fastball and breaking pitch.
“We had guys in scoring position three innings and all three times he got us out,” he added.
In the opener, UMaine provided Logan Fullmer with a five-run cushion and he made it stand up. The senior right-hander (2-1) worked his way around 12 hits and received errorless defense from his teammates.
The Bears went 5-for-6 with runners in scoring position against starter Matt Chanin (0-5) to set the tone for the win.
Utilizing a sharp slider and steady fastball, Fullmer struck out four and hit a batter and wound up throwing 134 pitches.
“You’ve just got to hit spots and pitch to your strengths,” Fullmer said.
“Coming in, they have almost a .300 batting average, this team,” he continued. “We knew they were going to put the ball in play, so just to try and get the ball on the ground, try and get flyouts.”
Ridley stroked three singles with an RBI to pace UMaine’s 11-hit attack, while Jake Osborne (2 RBIs) and Chappell (RBI) each logged two singles.
Gatto singled three times for the Retrievers, with Lachance (triple) and Mitchell Carroll each providing two hits and an RBI.
UMaine trailed 1-0 when it put together a five-run rally. Ridley started it with a sharp single through the middle and advanced on a wild pitch. He scored one out later when Chappell pulled a single to left.
Geary followed with an opposite-field, ground-rule double down the line in left field on which UMBC’s Nick Naumann was injured and had to leave the game.
Osborne followed with a two-strike, two-run single through the middle and moved up on the throw. Kerbs singled to right field, setting up an RBI single to left by Casals.
After Stypulkowski was hit by a pitch with two out, Ridley roped a RBI single to right to make it 5-1.