Baseball Drops Home Opener to Maine, 3-2

Friday, March 7

Lewisburg, Pa.

2:30 p.m.

Bucknell University

5-5

Maine

3-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Maine	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	3	6	2
Bucknell	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	7	4

Photo by: Mady Salvani

3/7/2025 6:09:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Payton Whitehead hit a go-ahead two-run homer with two outs in the top of the eighth to help Maine rally for a 3-2 win over Bucknell on Friday afternoon at blustery Depew Field. Tyler O'Neill pitched 7.2 strong innings for the Bison, but the Black Bears fought back from a 2-0 deficit to spoil Bucknell's 2025 home opener.

O'Neill and Maine starter Colin Fitzgerald locked up in a pitchers' duel, posting matching zeroes all the way into the sixth inning. The Bison finally found a breakthrough in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some clutch hitting by Tyler Dunn, who was back in the lineup after a seven-game injury absence.

Billy Kender singled to right with one out and moved up to second when the Maine first baseman couldn't field the throw coming in behind Kender. Ryan Facinelli's infield hit put runners at the corners with two outs, and then Dunn yanked a base hit into right field to plate Kender. Zach Martin bobbled the ball in right, and as Dunn drew a throw while advancing to second, Facinelli hustled home with the second run.

Maine got on the board in the seventh when Myles Sargent tripled to right-center on an 0-2 pitch, and he scored one batter later on Quinn Murphy's ground out. The Black Bears once again put a runner at third with nobody out in the eighth, this time on O'Neill's throwing error on Brody Rasmussen's chopper near the mound.

O'Neill nearly worked out of his own jam, recording a strikeout and an infield popup to keep the runner on third, but on a 2-2 pitch Whitehead lined a ball to the opposite field and it rode the stiff wind out of the ballpark.

Kender doubled leading off the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on Michael Trommer's ground ball. Maine brought the infield in, and Kender was forced to stay at third on Facinelli's ground ball to short. Sebastian Holt relieved Fitzgerald, and Rasmussen preserved the lead with a diving catch in center on a sharply hit ball by Dunn.

Michael Chiaravallo, who had a nice diving catch of his own earlier in the game, led off the ninth with a single and moved up on Chris Morabito's sacrifice bunt. But Holt got a strikeout and a fly ball to pick up his first save.

Bucknell outhit Maine 7-6 , but the Bison were hampered by four errors. Jonathan Adelmann was once again outstanding in relief, retiring all four batters he faced with two strikeouts. It was a well-pitched game all around, as the two staffs combined for 17 strikeouts, only one walk, and just two earned runs allowed.

With his seven strikeouts against Maine, Dunn moved into a tie with Kenn Durr (1979-82) for seventh on Bucknell's career list with 178.

The three-game series resumes on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Depew Field.