The University of Maine’s baseball team enhanced its lead atop the America East baseball standings by taking two of three from its closest pursuer over the weekend.
But after beating Binghamton by 5-4 scores on Friday and Saturday in Vestal, N.Y., the Black Bears were unable to complete the sweep of the Bearcats on Sunday despite pounding out 23 hits and scoring 17 runs as the hosts rallied for a wild 18-17 victory.
A seven-run sixth-inning rally erased a 12-9 deficit and gave UMaine a 16-12 lead but Binghamton scored two in the bottom of the sixth and four more in the seventh and held on for the win.
UMaine had its 10-game winning streak snapped but the Black Bears are 11-1 in the conference and 17-12 overall.
Binghamton, which entered the series with a six-game winning streak and a 13-1 home record, is now 6-3 in the conference and 19-12 overall.
South Portland junior right Noah Lewis, who had held opponents to three earned runs in each of his last four starts while going at least six innings in each, was unable to pitch due to illness and the six pitchers who took the mound for UMaine allowed 18 earned runs, 14 hits, nine walks and three hit batsmen.
UMaine had led 9-6 before Binghamton used a six-run rally in the fifth to take a 12-9 lead.
But Jake Rainess’ grand slam highlighted a seven-run sixth inning for UMaine that regained the lead in the see-saw contest.
Freshman Luc Lavigueur came on to pitch in the bottom of the sixth for UMaine and allowed two runs on two walks and Mike Gunning’s two-out, two-run double.
That cut the lead to 16-14.
The Black Bears squandered a bases-loaded, no-outs opportunity in the top of the seventh and the Bearcats made them pay for it in the bottom of the seventh.
Kevin Gsell singled and, one out later, Tommy Reifler doubled him home.
Lavigueur hit a batter, walked another and was replaced by Geoff Mosseau.
Freshman Mike Stellrecht greeted Mosseau with a two-run single to give Binghamton the lead for good and Cavan Tully plated what proved to be the winning run with a groundout.
Alex Henderson picked up the win with two innings of one-run ball and Jack Collins pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Lavigueur was tagged with the loss, allowing six earned runs in 1 ⅓ innings. Colton Carson gave up six earned runs in one inning and freshman Blaine Cockburn, who started in place of Lewis, retired just one of the seven hitters he faced while allowing five earned runs in the first inning.
Nick Roselli had three singles for Binghamton. Reifler doubled and singled and Gsell and Stellrecht each had two singles. Gunning, Reifler and Stellrecht each drove in three runs.
Rainess, Quinn McDaniel and Connor Goodman had four hits apiece for UMaine. Rainess had a double to go with his grand slam and two singles; McDaniel doubled twice and singled twice and Goodman had a homer among his four hits. Rainess and Goodman each knocked in four runs while McDaniel delivered three. Jeremiah Jenkins tripled and doubled among his three hits and drove in three runs. Colin Plante had three hits including a single and Myles Sargent singled twice.
Sophomore first baseman Jenkins slugged his 12th and 13th homers of the season, both three-run shots, in Friday’s and Saturday’s victories.
On Saturday, his three-run shot staked UMaine to a 3-0 lead but the Black Bears found themselves trailing 4-3 after six innings as Gunning’s homer in the bottom of the first and sacrifice fly in the fourth and Gsell’s RBI single in the third and homer in the fifth erased the lead.
But the home run ball would decide it for the Black Bears as Dylan McNary tied it with a solo shot in the seventh and Sargent walloped the game-winner in the eighth.
Freshman Gianni Gambardella picked up the win in relief of starter Caleb Leys with four impressive innings of two-hit, shutout relief. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out four.
He is now 4-1.
UMaine was held to five hits but three were homers.
Gunning homered and doubled for Binghamton and Gsell had his homer and single.Tully and Reifler added two singles apiece.
On Friday, Jenkins’ three-run homer in the eighth capped a four-run rally to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead.
Rainess’ RBI single tied the game earlier in the inning and McDaniel singled before Jenkins smashed his homer to left center.
Binghamton answered with two in the bottom of the eighth but Justin Baeyens pitched out of a jam to preserve the lead and retired all three hitters he faced in the ninth to notch his fourth save of the season.
Winning pitcher Colin Fitzgerald, now 3-1, was touched up for doubles by Isaiah Corry and Tully to open the eighth and Baeyens was brought on to pitch.
Reifler greeted him with a run-scoring single and Rosselli walked to put runners on first and second with no outs.
But Baeyens inducted a double play grounder and then struck out the next hitter to get out of the jam.
McDaniel was UMaine’s only repeat hitter with a homer and a single and Roselli was the Bearcats’ lone repeat hitter with a double and a single. Gsell also homered for Binghamton.
Fitzgerald allowed four hits on six hits over seven innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
Binghamton starter Thomas Babalis threw seven innings of two-hit one-run baseball with eight strikeouts and one walk. But UMaine scored four runs on five hits off reliever and loser John Lumpinski in the eighth.