Baseball Drops Third Straight: Defeated by Maine, 16-5

(box score)
3/13/06 -– Freshman Frank DiMasi hit his first career home run, a two-run shot in the first, but it was not enough as Maine scored 11 unanswered runs to defeat the Long Island University baseball team, 16-5, at the Papa John’s Baseball Classic in Lantana, Fla.

Robert Rowen continued his hot-hitting with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate. The junior third baseman is batting .520 over the Blackbirds (1-4-1) first six contests. Junior James Adamo and freshman Anthony Amatucci each added two hits and an RBI while Orlando Cruz chipped in with a pair of singles.

After scoring just two runs in its previous two contests, LIU equaled that total in the first inning. Following a walk to senior Sean Durkin to lead off the game, DiMasi belted the Blackbirds' first home run of the season over the left field wall to give the team a 2-0 advantage.

The Black Bears brought a run across the plate in the bottom of the inning, as an infield single by Ryan Quintal scored Matt McGraw.

A leadoff walk by Bryan Burke led to another run in the second. Burke advanced to third following a stolen base and a wild pitch. Amatucci drove him home with a single to right centerfield to bump the LIU lead to 3-1.

Two triples in the third helped to give Maine its first lead of the game. After a fielder’s choice put Billy Cather on first with one out, McGraw hit a triple to center that scored Cather. A single by Joel Barrett scored McGraw and following another fielder’s choice, Curt Smith tripled to center and put the Black Bears in front, 4-3. Bobby Brown singled to score Smith to end the scoring in the frame.

The Blackbirds came back strong, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Adamo and Dan Pirillo each had RBI singles to knot the game at 5-5.

Maine’s offense came alive in the middle innings, scoring three in the fourth, five in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth inning to take control of the game. McGraw and Barrett each had four RBI in the stretch that gave the Black Bears a commanding lead which they would not relinquish.

McGraw finished 4-for-5 with five RBI while Barrett added three hits and six runs batted in.

Freshman Kenny Cedel started for the Blackbirds, allowing eight runs, seven earned, and 10 hits over 3-2/3 innings. Troy Martin got the victory in relief for Maine.

LIU continues action in the Papa John’s Classic on Tuesday, Mar. 14 against Manhattan at 7:00 p.m.