PROVIDENCE. R.I. -- Senior right-hander Ben Ives (Portland, Maine/Deering) hurled his second complete game of the season to give the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies a 6-3 victory over the Rhode Island College Anchormen in the first game of the teams' Little East Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Anchorman Field.

            The Anchormen came from three runs down in the nightcap by scoring seven runs in the seventh inning to take an eventual 10-8 victory.  The doubleheader was the conference opener for both teams.

            Ives went the route for the second straight start to improve his record to 5-0.  He allowed eight hits and did not walk a batter while striking out three.

            The Huskies had 14 hits in the game led by sophomore Forrest Chadwick (Gardiner, Maine) with a triple and two singles.  Junior Tucker White (Deerfield, N.H./Coe-Brown Northwood) paced five players who had two hits apiece with a double and a triple.

            USM built an early 3-0 lead on an RBI triple by junior Nick Grady (Whitefield, Maine/Erskine) and an RBI bunt single by Chadwick in the first, and an RBI double by rookie Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.) in the second inning.

            RIC closed within one in the fifth inning on a solo home run by rookie Dan Grasso (Cranston, R.I.) and an RBI single from Kevin Carey (Wakefield. R.I.).  The teams traded runs in the sixth inning leaving the Huskies with a slim 4-3 lead.

            White tripled and scored on an infield error in the seventh to give the Huskies an insurance run.  Sophomore Matt Powers (Portland, Maine/Deering) scored another insurance run in the ninth on a fielder's choice.

            Ives finished in style allowing only one hit over the final three innings, and by striking out the final two RIC batters.

            In the nightcap, the Anchormen overcame a 6-3 deficit rallying for seven runs in the seventh inning.  Junior Cody Ortega (Kissimmee, Fla.) sparked the inning with a one-out solo home run.  Senior Kyle Allaire (Uxbridge, Mass.) had an RBI single that made it 6-5.  After a costly two-out error by the Huskies kept the inning alive, sophomore Alex Verrecchia (Cranston, R.I.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded tying the game, and Grasso put the Anchormen ahead to stay with a two-run single.  Grasso stole second and would score on the second USM error of the inning.  Five of the seven runs were unearned.

            USM looked to be in the driver's seat in the top of the seventh opening up a 6-3 lead.  Sophomore Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass.) singled, moved to third on a Glauser double, and scored on a ground out.  Glauser later scored on an infield error.

            White went 3 for 5 with three RBI in the nightcap.  Thibodeau had a single and a double.  Sophomore southpaw starter Logan Carman (Newfields, N.H./Laurel Springs) was the tough luck loser.

            Senior Eric Blanchard (Warwick, R.I.) picked up the win for the Anchormen with 3.1 innings of solid relief work.  Allaire, Ortega and senior J.P. Stone (Narragansett, R.I.) each had two hits for the Anchormen.

            Southern Maine travels to Endicott College on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.).  RIC will also be on the road Tuesday (3:30 p.m.) playing at Worcester State University.

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