Maine nips WVU in 12 innings

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A one-out single by Mike Connolly in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted Maine to a 2-1 win over West Virginia on Saturday afternoon.

After WVU reliever Pascal Paul allowed a single to Alex Calbick to open the bottom of the 12th, Calbick was bunted to second base by Brian Doran. A single by Eric White advanced Calbick to third before Connolly won the game with a bleeder just over the reach of first baseman Ryan McBroom.

WVU (6-8) received another strong outing from left-hander John Means, who worked eight innings and limited Maine to no earned runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Means dropped his earned-run average to 0.45.

Maine starter A.J. Bazdanes was just as effective, allowing one run on eight hits in nine innings. Bazdanes struck out one and allowed one walk.

D.J. Voisine (2-0) pitched the final three innings of relief. Voisine only surrendered one hit and struck out one.

Constantini gave WVU a 1-0 lead in the third inning, scoring on a two-out single by Bobby Boyd, who had three hits. WVU held the lead until the bottom of the ninth inning. That ‘s when Maine’s Sam Balzano reached on a lead-off error by McBroom. Consecutive singles by Colin Gay and Scott Heath scored Balzano to tie it.

Gay led Maine with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate. Connolly added two hits for the Black Bears.

WVU wraps up the Snowbird Baseball Classic on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Maine.