A dark cloud has seemingly been following the University of Maine at Presque Isle baseball team for the past couple weeks, and the result has been the postponement or cancellation of numerous scheduled games.
The Owls have had 13 of their 28 games either rained out or snowed out so far this season. The latest came over the weekend, as a single game against Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H. Friday, a doubleheader against Southern Maine Community College to be played in South Portland Saturday and another twinbill at Colby College in Waterville Sunday all could not be played.
UMPI did get six games in March 26-28. The Owls went 1-5 over the three days, salvaging a 4-3 victory over Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. March 28 to cap the stretch. Just prior to that, the Owls had six games to be played in Pennsylvania and New York March 21-25 taken away from them due to inclement weather.
Andrew Carter of Charlos, New Brunswick went the first seven innings on the mound, allowing three earned runs and struck out four and walked six, before Andy Brown of Princeton came on and got out of an eighth-inning jam and also pitched a scoreless ninth to record the pitching victory.
UMPI scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth with a two-out rally. Seth Cote of Otis reached on a base on balls and came across on Evan Kingsbury’s double.
The Owls had trailed 3-0 before scoring a run in the third on an RBI single off the bat of Stephen Thorne of Dalhousie, New Brunswick. UMPI tied the game in the fifth as Cote and Kingsbury both singled, followed by an RBI hit by Carlos Villoria of Caracas, Venezuela and a fielder’s choice RBI off the bat of Thorne.
Kingsbury, who is from Frankfort, went 3 for 4 to lead the Owl offense.
The Owls had dropped game one of the doubleheader, 6-4. Matt Nadeau of Auburn went 2 for 3 with three RBI, while Villoria also had two hits and Thorne and Ted Walker of Caribou both singled. Jordan Perry of Baileyville was charged with the pitching loss. He went the first six innings and allowed six earned runs while striking out two and walking three.
Coach Leo Saucier’s UMPI team lost both games of a doubleheader to Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J. March 26 by scores of 15-1 and 13-1. Anthony Batchelder of Enfield and Corey Harding of Plymouth were the losing pitchers for the Owls. Villoria picked up the lone RBI in the game on a sacrifice fly in the first inning of the nightcap.
Lucas Molloy of Lovell, Justin Bergeron of Tiverton, R.I., Walker, Harding and Thorne all had hits for the Owls.
The following day, UMPI traveled to Fitchburg, Mass. for a doubleheader against Fitchburg State University. The Owls lost the opener, 6-1, before also falling in the second game, 14-2.
Thorne singled and scored UMPI’s only run of the game in the seventh inning of game one. Jake Fillebrown of Stoneham pitched well despite being handed the loss. He struck out five and walked two during his five-inning stint, allowing four earned runs.
In the nighcap, the Owls were able to plate two runs. Shane Smith of Farmington and Cap Morrell of Harpswell both singled in the first and Smith scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Villoria for the first run. In the fourth, Fillebrown knocked in Harding from second with a run-scoring single to cap the offensive production on the day.
Dylan Worster of Howland was tagged with his second pitching loss of the season. He surrendered six earned runs in 4-2/3 innings of work. The Fitchburg squad scored 10 runs in the fifth inning to put the game away.
The Owls, currently 2-13 on the season, are scheduled to take on Lesley University of Cambridge Friday before meeting up against Fisher College in Sunrise Conference doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Lynn, Mass.
UMPI softball also
in waiting game
The Owl softball team, coached by Terry Cummings, had its scheduled doubleheaders against Husson University and Thomas College postponed over the weekend. The team has not played since splitting a doubleheader against Maine Maritime Academy March 19.
The team, which currently sports at 4-7 record, begins Sunrise Conference play Saturday and Sunday with doubleheaders against Fisher College in Lynn, Mass.
On Monday, UMPI will play UM-Farmington in another twinbill before making its way back to Aroostook County.
