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April 1, 2006
Princess Anne, MD - It's fairly rare that a baseball team scores 15 runs on 23 hits, while committing just one error, and doesn't pick up the win. However, the Hawks of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) did just that, allowing 26 runs and 24 hits by the University of Maine. The Black Bears won both games of a doubleheader the first by the 26-15 margin and the second by an 11-3 decision. UMES (6-21-1), knowing they were taking on a perennial power in Maine, didn't wait for the Bears to get started. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. After Hawk starter Dustin Longchamps sat the first three Bears down in order UMES went to work. Joel Maher hit a one out single to center and then immediately stole second base. Before Justin Hoban could put the ball in play Maher had advanced on a wild pitch. Hoban was hit by a pitch and runners were on the corners for Bernie Stratchko. He hit a double to left field and pushed Hoban all the way to third. Ronald Quick dug in and singled to center, plating Hoban. With Stratchko on third Quick stole second to put two runners in scoring position. It didn't matter because leftfielder Anthony Jackson tripled, his second of the year, to right center. He would cross the plate himself on a groundout by Morgan Schirmer. Maine (13-9) wasn't happy. They answered right back with five runs of their own. Ryan Quintal started the inning with a mammoth shot, his second of the year, to right field. After two outs the Bears hit four straight singles before Joe Hough hit his second homer of the year, this one to left field for three RBI.
UMES took the lead right back in their half of the inning. Eric Gaines doubled to left center and would score on a Hoban single. Maine again wasn't happy. They plated two runs in the third to take a 7-6 lead. UMES drove Maine starter Troy Martin from the game and he was replaced by Jason Weymouth. The Hawks could still score. They tied it up in the when Quick doubled to center and went to third on a Jackson sacrifice bunt. Schirmer picked up the RBI on a single up the middle. The slugfest was official as the two teams had combined for 14 runs and it was just the fourth inning. Maine added five more runs in the fourth, chasing Longchamps after he allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach. UMES brought in freshman Jamar Cadejuste but Maine took advantage of the hard thrower chasing him away just three batters later as he allowed one hit and two walks and three earned runs without getting an out. He also allowed the inherited runners to score. Head Coach Bobby Rodriguez, in an effort to counter the hot Maine hitting brought in another freshman, Brian White. White, who doesn't throw hard but locates his pitched very well, baffled the Bear hitters over four and one third innings. He would finish having allowed five runs, four earned, most of which came in the eighth when he simply ran out of gas. In the meantime UMES would get three runs back in the sixth inning. Hoban, who was 3-5 in the game, hit a one out single to left to get it started. After the Maine shortstop's throw pulled the first baseman off the bag Stratchko would be on first and Hoban would be on second. Now with two out the catcher would overthrow first and both runners would advance. Jackson then dug in and reached on another Maine error, this one by the second baseman. Hoban would score and runners were on the corners. Schiremr would then collect his fourth RBI of the day, driving in Stratchko and Jackson, all the way from first with a double to right center. The Hawks had taken advantage of three Black Bear miscues. It was 13-10. UMES got even closer in the seventh, adding a run when Gaines would score on a Maher single. Gaines had tripled to right center earlier in the inning. It was just a two run game when UMES pitching would allow Maine to pull away. They plated eight runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth. The Hawks would add four more in the same time but it was too many runs to overcome and Maine took game one 26-15 in a game that lasted three hours and 20 minutes. In the game Gaines, Maher, Hoban, Quick and Schirmer all had three hits apiece. Stratchko, Jackson and Mike DiCarlo all added a pair of hits to the Hawk tally of 23. Pete Mayta and Scot Givens each had one hit apiece. Longchamps took the loss and Weymouth picked up his third win of the year. Maine also had a hit parade with Matt McGraw, Kevin McAvoy, Bobby Brown, Danny Menendez and Quintal all having three hits each. They had four other players with two each. Every player in the lineup had at least a pair including Hough who had two hits, two runs and four RBI in the game. McAvoy, Brown and Menendez all had three RBI each. While the offensive stats were firmly padded for the Black Bears and Hawks, they had another game to add to them. In game two junior Kevin Hillenburg took the mound. He would also get the loss to fall to 0-6 on the year. At times he looked very effective, recording three strike outs but at other times felt the heat of the Maine bats, as he would allow nine hits and seven runs, five earned, over five and one third innings of work. Mike Powers picked up the win for Maine to improve to 1-0. Pat Moran would earn the save. UMES managed three runs in the seven inning affair. Two came in the third inning when Powers would walk Ken Richardson and hit Gaines. A wild pitch advanced both runners. Maher picked up his third RBI of the day driving in both runners. The Hawks final run came in the fifth inning. The Hawks had the bases loaded after a Mayta single, a pinch hit walk by Greg Cathel and an error that allowed Gaines to reach. After two outs another Maine error saw Stratchko reach and Mayta score. While the Hawks bats had cooled off in game two, they had just six hits, the Maine Black Bears still had theirs in the fire, tagging Hawk pitching for 14 hits and 11 runs. Quintal went an impressive four for four with three runs and an RBI in game two. On the day that makes him an incredible 7-10 with seven runs and three RBI. McAvoy had another good game with three hits and three RBI. Joel Barrett went 2-4 with two runs and two RBI. "Maine is a very good team," said Head Coach Bobby Rodriguez. "We played well today, we hit great and fielded well. Our pitching was a little shaky at times but it was also very good at times. Maine can flat out hit. They found the gaps and even created a few. They did a nice job." UMES hopes to keep their hot hitting going when they travel to Norfolk State next weekend for a three game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series against the Spartans. |
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