UMPI Owls sweep home series with Roos,
playoffs begin Friday
PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle baseball team earned a huge four-game sweep over the Roos of SUNY-Canton in Sunrise Conference play over the weekend. With the victories, the Owls finished the season at 4-4 in conference play (6-24 overall) and look ahead to the conference tournament, which begins Friday, April 30 in Boston.
SAUCIER
On Sunday afternoon at Presque Isle High School, the Owls earned two exciting wins over the Roos by scores of 9-8 and 7-6.
In the first game, two squeeze bunts in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Owls the win.
Trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Corey Harding smacked a double and scored on an RBI single off the bat of DJ Charette. Pinch runner Seth Dorr stole second, and then reached third on a bunt single by Stephen Thorne.
Thorne then stole second and James Cirell was walked intentionally to load the bases. Cody Humphrey laid down a first-pitch bunt allowing Dorr to beat out the play at home, tying the game at eight. With the bases still loaded, coach Leo Saucier called for another squeeze attempt and Brian Andrews successfully bunted the ball to score Thorne for the winning run.
UMPI was led offensively by Harding, who finished 2 for 5 with two doubles. Cirell had a two-run double in a fourth-inning rally for the Owls and also smacked an RBI double in the fifth. Ryan Hill, who earned in win on the mound in relief of Thorne, doubled and singled and had an RBI, while Corey Fournier doubled and singled twice.
In the second game, senior Tyler Delaney (Truro, NS) smacked a three-run home run to put the Owls ahead, 4-2, in the bottom of the third. UMPI scored two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to earn the 7-6 win over the Roos.
Charette finished 3 for 4, including two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Delaney added a single in the contest, while Harding, Cirell and Dorr all singled twice for UMPI.
Harding earned a complete seven-inning game win for the Owls, allowing six runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking two.
On Saturday afternoon in Caribou, UMPI came out strong in the first game of the weekend series, earning the 10-7 victory in game one, then holding on to earn the 8-4 win in game two.
Ian Towle solidified the win in game one for the Owls, working seven innings, while allowing six runs on six hits, striking out two and walking two. Harding picked up the save. In game two, Jacob Fillebrown went all the way for the Owls, pitching a complete seven-inning game. He allowed just four runs on five hits, while striking out six batters in the win.
In the two Saturday games, the Owls were led by Harding, who went 4 for 8, including a two-run blast in the first contest. He also doubled and singled twice, driving in a total of four runs on the afternoon. Charette earned three hits on the day with a double, two singles and two RBIs, while Delaney singled three times and drove in two runs. Dorr finished 2 for 5, singling twice with two RBIs, and Fillebrown chipped in with an RBI double. Cirell singled three times in the game two triumph.
Last Wednesday in Lewiston, the Owls were swept by Bates College, 24-1 and 6-3.
