The University of Maine played two days worth of baseball within a single game on Sunday afternoon, but the end result was plenty satisfying for coach Nick Derba’s Black Bears.
UMaine and St. Bonaventure played a grind of an 18-inning affair at Delray Beach, Florida, and the Black Bears wound up posting their fifth win over their last six contests, eking out a 5-4 victory.
The game was the second 18-inning contest in the history of UMaine’s baseball program, with the prior being a 5-4 victory over Providence College in 1983.
“We weren’t expecting to play a doubleheader, that’s for sure,” Derba said. “To persevere through a very tough game, that’s a huge part of it.”
Due to the length of Sunday’s game, a Monday morning contest between the two teams was cancelled.
“I hate losing a game [Monday] but we need to have healthy players to win and get ourselves to an America East championship,” Derba said.
The pitching of two freshmen was crucial in UMaine’s victory. Bingham native Cody Lawyerson and Brewer native Matt Pushard combined to allow no runs in 7⅔ innings of work.
Pushard pitched the final three frames to pick up his first collegiate victory. He scattered three hits while Laweryson struck out five and allowed just three hits in 4⅔ innings.
“You can’t overshadow those guys coming in and doing what they did,” said Derba.
The Black Bears had been playing well after being swept in their first three contests at Winthrop University, winning three games in Delray Beach before a 6-3 setback to Central Connecticut on Feb. 26.
If Sunday’s 18-inning contest wasn’t grueling enough, the Black Bears had defeated St. Bonaventure 6-5 in a 10-inning affair on Saturday.
On Sunday, UMaine broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 15th on Caleb Kerbs’ RBI single, but the Bonnies were able to get the run back on a single, two stolen bases and a passed ball.
Lou Della Fera ignited UMaine’s 18th-inning rally with a single and a stolen base and he was eventually driven home on Tyler Schwanz’s two-out double.
The Bonnies had another chance in the bottom of the inning but Pushard was able to navigate a one-out situation with a man on third by gunning down a man at the plate on a squeeze bunt attempt.
“It’s not an easy situation for anybody coming in their first year of college baseball,” Derba said. “I’m really very happy with Matt and his ability to compete.”
Laweryson was also able to wiggle out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the sixth.
The teams combined to use 11 pitchers.
Hernen Sardinas added a run-scoring single for the Black Bears.
UMaine and St. Bonaventure square off again at noon on Tuesday.
