In a strange weekend that had a little bit of everything, including a no-hitter, the University of Maine’s baseball team went 1-2 in a three-game set against America East rival UMass Lowell at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.
After winning the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 9-4 in 10 innings, the Black Bears wasted senior right-hander John Arel’s six-inning, 12-strikeout no-hitter in the nightcap, losing 1-0 on a wild pitch.
The Black Bears had a runner on second with nobody out in three different innings but failed to score in the second game.
On Sunday, the River Hawks built a 9-3 lead and withstood a Black Bear comeback to post a 9-8 victory.
The River Hawks improved to 17-19 overall, 8-7 in America East while the Black Bears are now 11-25 and 6-6, respectively. UMaine has now lost eight one-run games.
In Sunday’s finale, Ben Prada’s two-out three-run double followed by Russ Olive’s RBI double highlighted a four-run third-inning rally that built UMass Lowell’s lead to 8-3 and reliever Dan Cunico stranded the tying and go-ahead runs at third and second in the seventh inning.
The doubles by Prada and Olive were fly balls that UMaine left fielder Colin Ridley lost in the sun.
“None of those runs should have scored,” said UMaine coach Nick Derba.
After a bases loaded walk in the fourth extended UMass Lowell’s lead to 9-3, a Hernen Sardinas grounder produced a fifth-inning run for UMaine. The Black Bears added two in the sixth on Cody Pasic’s two-out two-run double and two more in the seventh on Caleb Kerbs’ RBI fielder’s choice and Kevin Doody’s run-scoring single on which a throwing error was made by center fielder Colby Maiola.
The throwing error put runners on second and third with one out but Pasic struck out and Jeremy Pena grounded out.
Olive had a two-run homer to go with his double and he also had a single. Prada had two hits and four RBIs for UMass Lowell. Michael Young, Cam Climo and Maiola also had two hits as did third baseman Mark Tumosa, whose diving snare of Sardinas’ scorching liner with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning saved at least two runs.
Tumosa had a triple and Young had a double among their hits.
Pasic and Kerbs had two hits each for UMaine and Danny Casals had a two-run single.
Cunico picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief and Nick Silva absorbed the loss after allowing six hits and four runs in just 1 ⅔ innings.
“With the exception of Nick, everyone else pitched well this weekend,” said Derba.
In Saturday’s opener, Pena’s two-out single in the top of the 10th delivered Doody from second base to break the tie and Casals walloped a three-run homer before Chris Bec singled home the fifth run of the inning.
Connor Johnson notched the win with two scoreless innings and he pitched out of a two-on- no-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.
Sardinas had a double and three singles and drove in a pair of runs for UMaine. Bec doubled and singled and Pena singled twice as did Ridley. Casals’ homer was his team-leading eighth of the season.
Climo had a double and two singles for the River Hawks and Prada doubled and singled. Maiola had a pair of base hits. Reliever Nick Rand took the loss.
In Saturday’s nightcap, Arel surrendered a third-inning run when Prada walked, stole second and third and scored on a two-out wild pitch that sailed high.
UMaine squandered golden opportunities in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
Pena doubled to lead off the first but Derba said he pulled up a little lame and couldn’t advance to third on Casals’ fly ball to right and couldn’t score from second on Sardinas’ base hit to left before Bec and Jonathan Bennett struck out.
Bec singled and stole second in the fourth but Bennett struck out, Ridley popped up and Kerbs grounded out.
Doody singled to open the fifth and Pasic walked but Brandon Vicens failed to execute a sacrifice bunt and Doody was throw out trying to steal third on the missed bunt-strike three. Casals lined out to end the threat.
“We couldn’t get bunts down when we needed to,” said Derba.
Arel walked three to go with his 12 strikeouts.
“He’s a big dude (6-foot-7, 275 pounds), he has an uncanny arm angle, his ball moves a ton and his fastball can range from 82 miles an hour to 91,” said Derba.
Andrew Ryan pitched six innings of five-hit, shutout ball to earn the win and Luke Tomczyk pitched a scoreless seventh for the save.
Doody had two singles for UMaine.
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