March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Providence sweeps struggling UM> Bears’ losing streak hits six games

ORONO – Two college baseball programs exhibited why they are going in different directions Wednesday evening.

The Providence College Friars, New England’s top-ranked Division I program, parlayed timely hitting, clutch pitching and errorless defense into a 7-3, 4-3 sweep of the University of Maine’s reeling Black Bears at Mahaney Diamond.

Providence added to its school record win total with its 38th and 39th wins of the season against 10 losses. Meanwhile, Maine set a school record for losses as the Bears are now 18-34, including six straight defeats.

Maine has lost eight of its last nine and has dropped its last seven at Mahaney Diamond.

In the opener, a two-run homer by Bob O’Toole, a two-run seventh-inning double by John Garside and the pitching of Ryan Ricciardi keyed the win.

In the second game, the Friars built a 4-1 lead and relied on the shutout relief pitching of ace lefthander Todd Incantalupo and righty Jake Biscoglio to hold off the Bears.

“Whenever you can take two games from the University of Maine, they’re good wins,” said Providence Coach Paul Kostacopoulos, son of former Maine star football and baseball player Pete Kostacopoulos. “I’m very proud of our kids. It’s a long trip and this is the fifth straight day we have played.”

Maine third baseman Nick Caiazzo said, “This has been the story all year. We proved we can compete with them. Their pitchers weren’t overpowering. But we didn’t capitalize on our chances.”

Maine went 1-for-11 with men in scoring position in the two games. Providence went 4-for-14.

In the nightcap, Providence took the lead for good with three runs in the second off Brad Veilleux.

Two walks and Ryan Kinski’s bunt single loaded the bases before Scott Palmieri’s sharp single to right, John McDonald’s sacrifice fly and a throwing error by Maine catcher John Ellis on Palmieri’s steal produced the runs.

Ellis’ third homer of the season got one back in the bottom of the second but Providence answered with a run in the third on Pete Tucci’s two-out triple and Kinski’s double to right off Ryan Smith.

Ellis rifled a two-out, two-run single to left in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3 but Incantalupo, who is 8-0, came on to get Brian Jolliffe on a called third strike and pitched another inning and a third before Biscoglio got the final two outs.

“We have a very good pitching staff from one-through-twelve,” said Incantalupo.

In the opener, O’Toole’s third-inning homer off loser Josh Harriman broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Friars a lead they would never relinquish. O’Toole launched a 2-2 curve into the screen in front of the scoreboard in left center field for his 15th homer of the year.

“They had fooled me with a slider a few pitches before so I thought they’d come with another breaking pitch,” said O’Toole, who added that Harriman hung the curve.

Providence made it 5-1 in the fifth when Palmieri blooped a single to right, McDonald ripped an RBI double to right center and Marc Halsted misplayed O’Toole’s liner into an error.

Rex Turner pulled Maine within 5-3 in the sixth when he drove Ricciardi’s sidearm fastball over the fence in left center field for his fifth homer of the year, a two-run shot.

But the Friars got those back in the top of the seventh off reliever Rick Wickett when Garside gapped his two-out, two-run double to right center.

“He threw me a slider and it was a little up,” said Garside.

“That was a big hit. It took a little steam out of their sails and we were able to pitch differently in the seventh. We could stick with fastballs,” said Kostacopoulos.

Righty Ricciardi hurled six innings of nine-hit, three-run ball with two strikeouts and no walks. He got 20 first-pitch strikes. He threw 71 pitches including 52 strikes. Jake Biscoglio pitched a scoreless seventh.

Maine went 0-for-4 with men in scoring position.

“I was happy with the way I pitched. I wished that one in the sixth hadn’t left the yard. But it was a win,” said Ricciardi, now 5-1.

Leadoff hitter McDonald had three hits and scored three times for Providence. O’Toole knocked in three runs.

Jeff Longo, Steve Lancaster and Turner had two hits each for Maine.

Friars 7, Black Bears 3

(First game)

Providence Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

McDonald, ss 3 3 3 1 Sheedy, cf 4 0 1 0

Bike, rf 3 0 0 0 Bianchi, rf 4 0 1 0

Harrington, rf 1 1 1 0 Puleo, c 3 0 1 0

O’Toole, c 3 1 1 3 Caiazzo, 3b 3 0 0 0

Delvchio, 3b 4 1 1 0 Longo, 1b 3 1 2 0

Garside, dh 4 0 1 2 Lancaster, dh 3 1 2 0

Tucci, lf 3 0 0 0 Turner, lf 3 1 2 2

Kinski, 1b 3 0 1 0 Halsted, 2b 2 0 0 1

Vafiades, cf 3 0 0 0 Croteau, ss 1 0 0 0

Palmieri, 2b 3 1 1 0 Ando, ss 2 0 1 0

Totals 30 7 9 6 Totals 28 3 10 3

Providence 102 020 2 – 7

Maine 010 002 0 – 3

E – Ando, Halsted 2B – McDonald 2, Garside HR – O’Toole (15), Turner (5) LOB – Providence 5, Maine 5 DP – McDonald to Palmieri to Kinski, McDonald to Kinski, Sheedy to Puleo

SB – O’Toole, Tucci

SF – O’Toole, Halsted

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Providence

Riccardi (W,5-1) 6 9 3 3 0 2

Biscoglio 1 1 0 0 0 0

Maine

Harriman (L,3-3) 3 3 3 3 1 3

Bogardus 1 1/3 2 2 1 0 3

Wickett 2 2/3 4 2 2 0 1

HBP – Tucci by Wickett WP – Harriman, Riccardi TIME – 1:58

Friars 4, Black Bears 3

(Second Game)

Providence Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

McDonald, ss 3 0 0 1 Sheedy, cf 4 1 2 0

Tamul, rf 2 0 0 0 Bianchi, rf 2 0 0 0

Harrington,rf 1 0 0 0 Huff, rf 1 0 0 0

O’Toole, c 3 0 0 0 Lancaster, dh 4 1 1 0

Delvecchio,3b 4 0 0 0 Ellis, c 2 1 2 3

Garside, dh 3 0 0 0 Longo, 1b 1 0 0 0

Pandolfo, pr 0 0 0 0 Jolliffe, ph 1 0 0 0

Tucci, lf 3 2 1 0 Caiazzo, 3b 3 0 1 0

Kinski, 1b 4 1 2 1 Turner, lf 2 0 0 0

Vafiades, cf 1 1 1 0 Halsted, 2b 1 0 0 0

Palmieri, 2b 1 0 1 1 Puleo, ph 1 0 0 0

Ando, 2b 1 0 0 0

Croteau, ss 3 0 0 0

Totals 25 4 5 3 Totals 26 3 6 3

Providence (39-10) 031 000 0 – 4

Maine (18-34) 010 020 0 – 3

E – Ellis, Quinn 2B – Kinski, Tucci, Lancaster 3B – McDonald HR – Ellis (3) LOB – Providence 9, Maine 6 SB – Palmieri, McDonald SF – McDonald

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Providence

Kendierski 1 1/3 1 1 1 0 0

Barthel (W,2-0) 3 1/3 4 2 2 3 3

Incantalupo 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 3

Biscoglio 2/3 6 3 3 3 7

Maine

Veilleux (L,1-1) 1 2/3 2 3 2 4 2

Smith 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 1

Hanning 1 0 0 0 0 3

Decker 1 0 0 0 0 2

Quinn 2 1 0 0 1 2

WP – Barthel; Quinn, Veilleux TIME – 2:21 ATTENDANCE – 371

Colby 8, Bates 7

At Waterville, Jessie Wilcox’s two-run single led the Mules past rival Bates College 8-7, at Coombs Field Wednesday afternoon.

Colby scored the winning run in the fifth inning when a Bates’ error allowed two runs to score.

For Bates, Jason Verner had a three-run homer in the third inning to put Bates up 5-1 but Colby came back in the fourth to go ahead 6-5.

Bates 104 020 000 – 7 11 6 Colby 102 320 00x – 8 5 4

Hachy, Carr (8) and Huerta; Hanley, Losty (4), Snow (7) and Smith

Softball

St. Joseph’s 11, Colby 0

Colby (4-19) 000 00 – 0 4 4 St. Joseph’s (32-7) 252 2x – 11 11 2

Ackley and Graham; Kamsczik and Bernier


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