AP Sports Preview

PORTLAND, Maine (Interstat) — Northeastern visits Maine on Wednesday at Portland Exposition Arena in a matchup between teams heading in opposite directions. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature of 44 degrees.

The Huskies (25-17) hold a significant edge in the standings, while the Black Bears (14-25) are looking to build on momentum from a series win last weekend.

Northeastern is coming off a 13-2 loss to Hofstra on Sunday, a game where the Huskies used three pitchers. Right-hander Matthew Sapienza threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with one strikeout. Sapienza has appeared in five games this season and will be a key arm out of the bullpen. He faced Maine earlier this month, throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering three earned runs in a 13-5 Northeastern victory on April 12.

Maine counters with right-hander Vaun Larisa, who has been the Black Bears’ most consistent starter. Larisa threw seven innings Sunday in an 11-1 win over Maryland-Baltimore County, allowing one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts. He also faced Northeastern on April 12, taking the loss after allowing four earned runs in four innings.

The teams split a two-game series earlier this month at Northeastern. Maine won 5-0 on April 11 before the Huskies answered with a 13-5 victory the next day.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Northeastern win, and the ELO system gives the Huskies an 81.7% probability of victory.

Northeastern has won seven of its last 10 games despite Sunday’s lopsided loss. The Huskies swept a three-game series at North Carolina A&T from April 17-19, scoring 15 runs in each of the first two games and 15 again in the finale.

Maine has won four of its last five, including a series win over UMBC and a 6-4 victory at Boston College on April 21. The Black Bears are 5-5 in their last 10 games overall.

Both teams enter the final weeks of the regular season. Northeastern opens a three-game series at Monmouth on Friday, while Maine travels to Binghamton for a three-game set beginning the same day.

Wednesday’s game is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season.