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Baseball Moves to 4-0 with Doubleheader Sweep of Delaware State
Feb. 25, 2008
DOVER, Del. -- The University of Maine baseball team improved to 4-0 with a doubleheader sweep of Delaware State University on Monday afternoon in Dover, Del. The Black Bears recorded a 16-7 victory in the first game and followed that up with an 11-3 win in the second game. Jarrett Lukas (Old Town, Maine), Curt Smith (Willemstad, Curacao) and Myckie Lugbauer (Mahopac, N.Y.) each had monster days for the Black Bears. The three combined to go 12-for-23 with 13 runs scored and 16 RBI. It is the first time that Maine has started 4-0 since the 2002 season. In the first game, Maine had a runner cross the plate in all seven innings. In the first inning, Matt Howard (Weston, Mass.) drew a walk and Smith, who was named America East Player of the Week on Monday, followed with a two-run home run to center field. The Black Bears added three runs in the top of the second. Kevin McAvoy (Brewer, Maine) was hit and Danny Menendez followed and reached on an error. Lukas then belted a three-run home run giving Maine a 5-0 lead. Maine continued to add to its lead in the top of the third inning. Smith led off the inning with a home run, his fourth of the season. Lugbauer walked and Mark Ostrander (Hopkinton, Mass.) followed with a double to left field. Lugbauer scored when McAvoy grounded out. The Black Bears added a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Howard was hit by a pitch and Smith was intentionally walked. Lugbauer singled to center field scoring Howard. Ostrander followed with a single to shortstop scoring Smith. Delaware State scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull to within 9-5.
Maine answered in the top of the fifth inning. Menendez led off the top of the fifth inning with a double to left field and scored when Tony Patane (New Milford, Conn.) singled down the left field line. The Black Bears added a pair in the top of the sixth. Smith reached on an error and then stole second base. Lugbauer doubled down the right field line plating Smith. McAvoy had a sacrifice fly scoring Lugbauer. The Black Bears scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Billy Cather (Worcester, Mass.) singled up the middle extending his hitting streak to 19 games. Kevin Jackson (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) double to right field scoring Cather. Smith was intentionally walked and Lugbauer followed with a single up the middle scoring Jackson. Smith scored on a passed ball and Lugbauer scored when Ostrander singled up the middle. The Hornets added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it a 16-7 final. Matt Jebb (Toronto, Ontario) went four innings for Maine and picked up the win. He allowed five runs, none of which were earned, on seven hits. He struck out four batters in the game. Jimmy Cox (Bangor, Maine) pitched the final three innings for the Black Bears and allowed two runs on no hits. He fanned three batters. In the second game, Maine's Alejandro Balsinde (Miami, Fla.) and Delaware State's James Friel were locked in a pitchers dual through four innings before the Hornets pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Trailing 1-0 going into the top of the fifth inning, the Black Bears broke the game open with five runs. McAvoy doubled to left field and scored on a Menendez single to tie the game. Joe Mercurio (Brewster, N.Y.) walked and then he and Menendez had a double steal. Jarrett Lukas followed with a double plating both Menendez and Mercurio. Cather had a sacrifice fly scoring Lukas and Tony Patane, who had singled, scored on a passed ball. The Hornets scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to keep the game within reach at 5-2. Maine, however, answered in the top of the seventh with six runs to put the game out of reach. McAvoy led off the inning with a single and Mercurio reached on an error. Lukas doubled to left field scoring McAvoy. Cather, who had singled earlier in the game to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, walked. Smith singled to right field scoring both Lukas and Mercurio. Lugbauer then followed with a three-run home run plating Smith and Cather ahead of him. For Maine, it was the ninth home run of the season. Delaware State scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it an 11-3 final. Balsinde pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits. He struck out three batters in the game. Lugbauer pitched the final .2 innings for the Black Bears and did now allow a hit. The Black Bears return to action on Friday, Feb. 29 when they travel to UNLV for a series with the Rebels. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. eastern time on Friday night. Maine baseball games can be heard on WGUY 102.1 FM and 910 AM. Jim Churchill will call the action for the Black Bears. The game can also be heard over the internet by logging onto www.GoBlackBears.com. -U-M- |
