Mustangs Shut Out Herons in Spring Home Opener, 4-0

Auburn, ME – CMCC Baseball delivered a 4-0 victory over Great Bay Community College in its first home game of the spring portion of its season. Cody Cleaveland threw six strong innings to pick up the win on the mound, and Brendan Mahaney drove in three runs on a 3-for-5 day at the plate. The Mustangs improve to 10-1 in Yankee Small College Conference play.

"Pitching and defense is what it was all about today," said head coach Ryan Palmer. "Cody and Owen were dominant on the mound. We need to vastly improve offensively as a team, but I'm confident we'll get there."

Things started well for the hosts in the bottom of the first. T.J. Kramarz, in his first action of the spring after missing the team's Pennsylvania road trip due to injury, singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. Cleaveland reached on an error, putting two in scoring position for Mahaney who promptly brought them both home with a lined shot into center to go up 2-0.

Zac Gorman eliminated a scoring threat in the top of the second. The sophomore catcher from Melton, Victoria in Australia threw out Rhett Dyer trying to steal third base with one out. He then delivered some offense in the bottom of the fourth when he led off the inning with a lined shot into right field. The ball eluded the dive of Hayden Hundley, allowing Gorman to race around to third for a triple. The Herons prevented the third run of the game when Jose Diaz threw across the diamond to get Dawson Babineau out on a bang-bang play at first to end the inning.

Both starting pitchers had solid outings. Cleaveland struck out five in six innings worth of work, allowing two hits and three walks to claim his first win since joining up with the team following his national championship win in goal for CMCC Men's Soccer in the fall. A.J. Francisco also finished with five strikeouts for the Herons, but was tagged with the loss after giving up five hits in five innings of work.

Owen Scott came on in relief for Central Maine in the top of the seventh. Great Bay threatened, putting runners on second and third with one out. But Scott got Dyer to pop out to Mahaney down the first-base line and Diaz's long fly ball to center was tracked down by Babineau to get out of the jam.

Cleaveland stayed in the game since he was also listed as the team's designated hitter. His single down the left-field line moved Kramarz over to second and set the stage for Mahaney once again. The sophomore from Old Town, ME hammered a pitch from reliever Collin McGovern off the fence in left-center field. That scored one to make it 3-0. McGovern battled back to retire Caleb Oickle and Jake Calver. Gorman faced a full count with two in scoring position, but was caught looking at a pitch low and away to end the inning.

Scott struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the eighth. Miller led off the bottom half by beating out a throw across the diamond from Diaz that took Landon Wolusky off the bag. Ty Bernier moved him over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Babineau walked and Kramarz sneaked a payoff pitch past Dyer at short for his third hit of the day to make it 4-0 Mustangs.

There was no late drama in the top of the ninth. Scott retired the side in order to pick up the save. The sophomore out of Edward Little High School had five strikeouts and gave up just one hit in three innings.

The Mustangs remain on top of YSCC standings with a 14-6 overall record while the Herons fall to 7-20. The two teams meet again next Saturday down in Portsmouth, NH. Next up for Central Maine is a visit from the second-place team in the conference, York County Community College, on Wednesday. First pitch against the Hawks is scheduled for 6:00 pm.