UMaine baseball trees Rollins

The University of Maine baseball team defeated Rollins College 10-4 in the championship game of the 2011 Rollins College Baseball Week Tournament. Troy Black (Mississauga, Ontario) led the Black Bears as he was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Maine improves to 5-12 on the season, while Rollins improves to 15-7.

Maine jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Michael Fransoso (Portsmouth, N.H.) was hit by a pitch and scored when Taylor Lewis (Montville, Conn.) grounded out.

Rollins tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when Kevin Mager singled and scored when John Avanzino grounded out.

Maine added a run in the top of the third inning. Troy Black singled and scored when Lewis singled to center field.

The Black Bears scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 6-1. Alex Calbick (Burnaby, British Columbia) drew a walk and Pat Thibodeau (Caribou, Maine) was hit-by-a-pitch. Both runners advanced a base when Colin Gay (Franklin, Mass.) grounded out. Black followed with a two-run single scoring Calbick and Thibodeau. Fransoso followed with a double. Joey Martin (Portland, Maine) singled scoring Black. Fransoso scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Maine scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Calbick walked and Tyler Patzalek (Burlington, Ontario) singled and advanced on an error, scoring Calbick. Thibodeau reached on an error and Patzalek scored.

Rollins scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Zach Persky walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tony Brunetti followed with a single to center field scoring Persky. Mager then tripled and Brunetti scored. Mager scored the third run of the inning when Steve Betcherman hit a sacrifice fly.

Maine scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning. PatZalek singled up the middle and Thibodeau followed with a bunt single. Black doubled down the left field line scoring Patzalek. Thibodeau scored when Fransoso laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Keith Bilodeau (Bourne, Mass.) had another impressive performance for the Black Bears. He went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs, just one of which was earned, on just two hits. He struck out five batters in the game. He improves to 2-0 on the season. He was replaced by AJ Bazdanes (Nashua, N.H.) who went 3.2 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits.

Mike Hermann went 3.2 innings for Rollins. He allowed six runs on six hits. Will Krasne replaced Hermann and went 5.1 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits.

--UMaine Communications--