Meisner’s Complete Game Shutout Earns Split With SMCC

Auburn, ME – A tale of two games saw the Central Maine Community College baseball team earn a split of its doubleheader against the rival SMCC Seawolves. The Mustangs dropped game one 2-8 before bouncing back for a 6-0 shutout victory in game two.

GAME ONE: 2-8 L

Zach Oliver finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs and a home run for SMCC in game one, as the Seawolves beat the Mustangs 8-2 to start off the doubleheader.

Southern Maine loaded the bases four times in the first five innings, but were held to just three runs with the defense helping get pitchers Kyle Delano and Fischer Cormier out of some jams.

Brady Pert drove home the third run with a seeing-eye infield single in the fifth. However, that was followed by a great Ryan Stone catch in foul territory out in right field. The Westbrook, ME native then threw to the plate to double up Dante Tocci who was trying to tag and score.

It took until the 4^th inning for the Mustangs to get their first hit of game one. Garren Post singled and was followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases for CMCC with two outs. But Hayden Durrell's line drive towards third was snagged to end the threat.

Jake Calver attempted to spark something for the Mustangs in the bottom of the sixth while trailing 3-0. The freshman from Australia drew a full count walk before stealing second base. He then reached third on a wild pitch, allowing Gabe Hubbard to plate him on a sacrifice fly.

That set the stage for the final inning. SMCC once again put three runners on base, this time with Owen Scott on the mound. A wild pitch allowed two runs to score to make it 5-1. But the real damage was done with Oliver up to bat and two runners on. The junior from Gloucester, MA crushed a three-run home run to left-center field that ended any hopes of a CMCC comeback.

Lee Robertson reached on a two-out error that brought home Durrell in the bottom of the seventh. But Post was struck out with the bases loaded to end game one of the doubleheader.

GAME TWO: 6-0 W

CMCC scored four runs in the second inning and Jeff Meisner threw a complete game shutout on the mound, as the Mustangs cruised to a 6-0 win for a split of the doubleheader.

Meisner gave Central Maine exactly what it needed with a strong outing from their starting pitcher. The junior from Natick, MA delivered 125 pitches while recording six strikeouts with just five hits allowed.

"I felt really good today," Meisner said after the game. "The arm feels great. I could go tomorrow if the team needed me to."

Aiden Dolan walked five batters in the bottom of the second for SMCC, helping Central Maine find its footing at the plate. Ryan Stone hit an RBI single to right field and scored later on a wild pitch to go along with the two runs walked home. Garrett McLeod came on in relief to get out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout, but the Mustangs still led 4-0.

Stone was back at it again in the bottom half of the third, this time delivering a two-RBI single on a line drive to center field that drove in Steven White and Hayden Durrell. That 6-0 lead continued into the sixth inning.

Meisner faced his toughest challenge of the game at that point. With his pitch count hitting triple digits, the Seawolves loaded the bases with nobody out looking for a way back into the ballgame. The CMCC starting pitcher responded by throwing out one at the plate on a ground ball back to him, then struck out the next two in a row to produce the biggest roar of the night from the Mustangs dugout.

From there Central Maine closed things out to seal the deal and earn a split with its biggest rival. The Mustangs next take to the diamond on Friday, when they host UMaine Augusta for a doubleheader starting at 5 pm.