LEWISTON, ME

UMPI Baseball returned for the final day of their series with SUNY Cobleskill, but once again ran into a hot Tigers lineup, falling 13-8 in game one and 6-0 in game two. Despite a strong offensive showing in the opener, the Owls couldn't keep pace late, and the bats cooled off in the second game. 

Game 1: 13-8 Tigers 

Game one turned into a back-and-forth battle early before Cobleskill pulled away late. The Tigers jumped out quickly with two runs in the first and added three more in the second to take a 5-1 lead. UMPI answered in a big way in the second inning when Carter Murphy launched a two-run home run to center, cutting the deficit to 5-3. After Cobleskill extended their lead to 10-3 in the fourth, the Owls responded with one of their best innings of the series. Hector Perez got it started with a two-RBI double, followed by Mitchell Kley driving in two more with a single to bring UMPI within 10-7. The Owls kept the pressure on in the fifth when Aiden Toy added an RBI single to make it 10-8. That would be as close as UMPI would get. Cobleskill tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to secure the 13-8 win. Offensively, the Owls showed life with nine hits. Carter Murphy led the way with a home run and two RBIs, while Brock Black added a two-hit game. Perez and Kley each drove in two, and Toy chipped in with an RBI as well. 

Game 2: 6-0 Tigers 

Game two was a much quieter one offensively for UMPI, as they were shut out despite putting a few runners on base. Cobleskill broke through in the third inning with back-to-back RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead, then added another in the fifth. A three-run sixth inning put the game out of reach, extending the lead to 6-0. UMPI managed five hits in the game, with Aiden Toy leading the way with a 2-for-3 performance. Hector Perez, Mitchell Kley, and Carter Murphy each added a hit, but the Owls couldn't find the timely hit to bring runs across. Garrett Chadwick got the start and went six innings, allowing six runs (five earned) while keeping the Owls in it early, but the offense couldn't back him up. 

Day two showed both sides for UMPI, the ability to put up runs in bunches, but also the struggle to contain opposing offenses and capitalize consistently. The Owls competed well in stretches, especially in game one, but Cobleskill's depth ultimately made the difference. 

Next Up:

The Owls fall to 4-13 overall after beings wept and 3-9 in conference. UMPI will look to regroup as they head to the University of Maine at Farmington for their next conference series on April 11th and 12th.