By Sun Journal staff

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Matt McGraw knocked in three runs on three hits to lead an 18-hit barrage to help give Maine a 16-6 win and gain a doubleheader split with Columbia in baseball action Friday.

Danny Mendendez and Joel Barrett chipped in with two hits and a pair of runs batted in, while Kevin McAvoy belted his third home run of the season as the Black Bears (9-7) used a 10-run second to launch them onto victory. Scott Robins (3-2) went the distance to collect the win. Henry Perkins suffered the loss for Columbia (1-12).

In the first game, Columbia received a home run from Dan Neczypor to edge Maine 7-6. Nick Oleksak (1-0) earned the win in relief with Andrew Walther picking up the save. Troy Martin (2-3) was tagged with the loss.

St. Joe’s swept

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. – Ripon College used a late-inning rally to take Game 1 and put up nine runs in the first three innings to complete the sweep of Friday’s doubleheader with Saint Joseph’s College by scores of 3-2 and 9-5 at Lindy McDaniel Complex. The two losses drop the Monks to 5-4 overall and improve Ripon to 8-3 overall.

Ripon first baseman Mac Shumann had a pair of hits, including the game-winning run in the first game, while top hitter Tyler Haddock had a home run and two runs scored in the second to lead the Red Hawks.

Saint Joseph’s College had a 2-1 advantage going into the bottom of the six inning before Ripon knotted the game at 2-2. Haddock and first baseman Bo Johnson hit back-to-back singles off of sophomore pitcher Charlie Furbush. Haddock advanced to third and later scored on a Dustin Spiller throwing error. Furbush struck out the next two Ripon batters to end the sixth inning.

Softball

Florida International 6, Maine 4

TAMPA, Fla. – Florida International plated five runs over the last two innings and defeated Maine 6-4 in women’s softball Friday.

Brittany Cheney blasted her third home run of the season to give the Black Bears (15-9) a 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Sarah Bennis (10-2) went the distance, striking out eight, in the loss.

Earlier in the day, the Black Bears dropped a 5-4 decision to Canisius.

Bowdoin drops two

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Bowdoin College softball team lost a pair of games on Friday on the Polar Bears’ spring break trip. Bowdoin (1-3) lost a close 5-4 decision to Transylvania College in the morning before falling to Keene State 7-1 in the afternoon.

The Polar Bears broke a 1-1 tie against Transylvania thanks to a three-run, top-of-the-fifth inning. Their opponents rallied for four runs in the bottom of the frame and held on to win, however, as three errors spoiled a solid start by first-year Karen Reni. Danielle Chagnon hammered a double and triple in the game, while Brittany Ogden also rapped out two hits for the Polar Bears.

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