ORONO, Maine — Logan Fullmer had a lot on his mind on Saturday.
In the morning, he and six teammates participated in commencement at Alfond Arena.
A few hours later, across campus, the senior right-hander pitched seven strong innings to help the University of Maine post a 2-1 victory over Stony Brook in the first game of an America East baseball doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond.
The Seawolves rebounded for an 8-1 win in the second game and won the series with a 9-0 verdict on Sunday.
Fullmer made sure his graduation day was doubly memorable.
“It’s a great feeling finally graduating,” said Fullmer, who earned a degree in food science and human nutrition.
UMaine’s other seniors, Brenden Geary, Charlie Butler, Jon Salcedo, Jake Marks, Kevin Stypulkowski and Brett Chappell, also participated in commencement.
Fullmer (4-2) scattered five hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts to shut down Stony Brook. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, walked one and hit a batter.
He threw 25 pitches in the first inning, but mixed a lively fastball and his tantalizing slider to outduel Stony Brook ace Chad Lee (5-4).
“I made them put the ball in play the rest of the game and got a few strikeouts here and there,” Fullmer said. “The defense played really well. I tried to limit the pitches as much as I could.”
Freshman righty Nick Silva retired all six batters he faced to lock down his fifth save of the season for UMaine (18-31, 7-13 AE).
Lee, a senior right-hander, scattered seven hits and walked one, but did not receive much offensive support.
Freshman shortstop Jeremy Pena sparked the Black Bears with three singles and scored a run, while classmate Colin Ridley singled twice and knocked in a run. Stypulkowski cranked a solo home run.
Bobby Honeyman singled twice to pace Stony Brook (22-24, 11-8 AE).
The visitors scratched out their only run in the first inning when Andruw Gazzola beat out an infield chopper and Jeff Parenty singled between first and second. David Real advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt.
Casey Baker made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly to right field, although Gazzola would have been out at the plate had Stypulkowski been able to handle the throw.
UMaine equalized in the second when Stypulkowski drilled a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence.
The hosts plated the eventual game-winner in the third inning. Pena grounded a hard single through the middle, then was picked off first but reached second safely when first baseman Johnny Caputo tripped over Pena and dropped his glove with the ball inside.
Pena moved to third on Danny Casals’ flyout to right field, then scored when Ridley roped a single to right.
“We got some timely hitting in a close game,” said UMaine coach Steve Trimper. “Colin Ridley stepped up, got the big one. Styp got the home run.”
Lee was in charge after that, affording UMaine only three baserunners the rest of the way. He set down the last nine men he faced.
Fullmer escaped trouble in the third after a hit batsman and a one-out single by Real. He walked Baker to load the bases, but induced an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.
After giving up a leadoff single to Honeyman in the fourth, Fullmer retired the last 12 batters he faced before Silva got the last six outs.
“I think the most important thing for him is, he’s always throwing strikes,” Ridley said. “When a pitcher’s throwing strikes consistently, it keeps everybody on their toes.”
In the second game, Bret Clarke (6-2) held UMaine to seven hits over 6⅓ innings and his teammates backed him with 12 hits in an 8-1 win.
Clarke, a freshman right-hander, surrendered only one run and finished with three strikeouts and two walks before Teddy Rodliff got the final two outs.
Gazzola (double, home run), Sean Buckhout and Toby Handley provided two hits and two RBIs apiece for Stony Brook. Honeyman delivered a double and two singles.
Ridley doubled twice with an RBI and Lou Della Fera singled twice to lead UMaine.
Sophomore John Arel (2-8) lasted only three innings for the Black Bears. He gave up eight hits and seven runs, six of which were earned.
“That was the first time in a long time John didn’t have very good stuff,” Trimper said. “He just didn’t have his good breaking ball.”
The Seawolves scored all the runs they were need in the second inning. Honeyman started the rally with an infield single, then Caputo reached on a chopper toward shortstop.
Handley plated the first run when he grounded a single through the middle and under the glove of shortstop Pena near the second-base bag. Jeremy Giles reached on a fielder’s choice that left runners at second and third, then Buckhout hit a two-run single back through the box.
One out later, Parenty lined a single to left-center and Real made it 4-0 with an infield single.
Stony Brook added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Handley and made it 7-0 in the fourth on Gazzola’s line-drive, two-run homer to right.
UMaine scored its only run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Casals and Ridley.
Jonah Normandeau of Cumberland pitched three innings of one-hit, shutout ball with three strikeouts for the Black Bears.
On Sunday, Stony Brook senior lefty Tyler Honahan (4-6) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out 10 to earn the win over the Black Bears.
Stony Brook got all the runs it would need in the first inning on Honeyman’s RBI single and Caputo’s run-scoring fielder’s choice.
The Seawolves chased Maine sophomore righthander Chris Murphy (0-3) after three innings as he allowed three hits, three runs, walked four and struck out four.
Before the game, Maine’s Marks, Chappell, Butler, Stypulkowski, Geary, Fullmer and Salcedo were honored for Senior Day.