Sophomore righthander Nick Silva pitched 8 2/3 innings of three-hit, shutout ball and junior designated hitter Jonathan Bennett hit a two-run single as the University of Maine Black Bears beat Stony Brook 3-0 in an elimination game at the America East Baseball Tournament at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Friday night.
UMaine is now 2-1 in the tournament and 24-28 overall and will take on top seed Binghamton, 0-1 and 30-12, in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. elimination game. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1-0 and 21-23, will take on Albany, 2-0 and 26-24, in Saturday’s 11 a.m. opener in the six-team double-elimination tournament.
The UMaine-Binghamton winner will play the Albany-UMBC loser at 6 p.m.
Stony Brook concluded a 26-26 season after going 1-2 in the tournament.
Silva, nephew of former major leaguer Alex Rodriguez, struck out 10 and walked six while throwing 131 pitches.
“It was an elimination game so I knew we needed a big performance and I went out and did my thing,” said Silva. “My changeup and my slider were my best pitches tonight. My fastball was a little wild.
“I got into some jams that I didn’t want to get into but I did a pretty good job getting out of them,” he added.
Silva gave up a lead-off double to Toby Handley in the bottom of the first but Handley was gunned down trying to stretch it into a triple by second baseman Caleb Kerbs, who took the relay throw from right fielder Tyler Schwanz.
Silva said he was concerned when Handley hit the double but when he was thrown out at third, it gave him confidence.
“After that, I said ‘It’s going to be a good game,” said Silva.
“He pitched great,” said Bennett.
The Seawolves didn’t get another hit until there were two outs in the ninth when Brandon Janofsky doubled down the third base line and Jeremy Giles followed with a line drive single to left. Jeff Gelinas came out of the bullpen to strike out Cody Clarke and pick up his seventh save of the season.
The Black Bears took a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
Jeremy Pena grounded a single to center and was sacrificed to second by Lou Della Fera.
Christopher Bec and Schwanz walked to load the bases and Bennett lofted an opposite-field single into short left field to deliver Pena and Bec.
“They were pitching me outside so I shortened up (my swing) and flicked it into left field,” said Bennett. “I got a base hit (to the shortstop hole) on a fastball in the second inning and that time they threw me a changeup.”
The Black Bears had a golden opportunity to expand the lead in the fourth when Cody Pasic walked, Pena doubled down the third base line and Della Fera walked to load the bases.
But Bec grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, just the second time he had hit into a double play this season.
Stony Brook had a great chance to cut into the lead in the fifth when Bobby Honeyman and Janofsky walked on nine pitches and Giles sacrificed them into scoring position.
But Silva bore down and struck out Chris Hamilton before inducing Sean Buckhout to foul out to first baseman Hernen Sardinas.
The Black Bears added a run in the seventh when Pena was hit by a pitch, Della Fera sacrificed him to second after Teddy Rodliff had replaced starter Greg Marino on the mound, and Pena scored when third baseman Honeyman threw errantly to first on Bec’s high chopper.
Stony Brook had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh on a pair of walks but Silva struck out pinch-hitter Cody Clarke to work out of the jam.
The Black Bears loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on singles by Sardinas and Kerbs and a one-out intentional walk to Pena. But reliever Cole Creighton came on to get Della Fera on a comebacker to the mound and induce Bec to fly out.
Pena went 3-for-3 with a double for UMaine and Bennett and Kerbs each had a pair of singles.
“We never quit. We don’t want to go home. We want to keep winning for the seniors,” said Bennett.