Box Score (Courtesy of Salem State Sports Information)
Salem State Strikes Early, Downs Southern Maine 12-1
SALEM, Mass. -- Sophomore Nick Conti (Lynn, Mass./St. Mary's) went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI to lead the Salem State Vikings to a 12-1 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in non-conference baseball action Thursday afternoon.
The win extends the Vikings winning streak to six games, and lifts their overall record to 17-5. The Huskies fell for the second straight day to slide to 9-10 overall.
Salem State sophomore starter Ryan Hyjek (Tolland, Conn.) threw a complete game, allowing one run on six hits with four strikeouts to improve to 4-1 on the year.
Conti hit a three-run homer in the second inning as Salem State scored six runs to pull away early from Southern Maine.
Salem State took a 1-0 lead after scoring on a bases loaded error in the first inning. Senior Chris Cocci (Wakefield, R.I.), who reached on a fielder choice, scored after USM could not handle what should have been an inning ending force out.
The Huskies countered with their only run in the top of the second after rookie Jake Glauser (Goffstown, NH) blasted a ground–rule double, and later scored on a single by sophomore Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass.).
The Vikings then opened up a six-run lead in the bottom of the second. Senior Eric Juncker (Rockport, Mass.) led off with a walk and sophomore Ethan Trowt (Beverly, Mass.) was hit by a pitch before junior Steve Buitkus (Reading, Mass.) smacked an RBI single. After Salem State loaded bases against USM junior starter Ryan Yates (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills), sophomore Kyle McElroy (Newburyport, Mass.) followed with a two-run single.
Senior left-hander Greg Holmes (West Newbury, Mass./Central Catholic) replaced Yates and was greeted by a three-run home run by Conti to push the Salem State lead to 7-1.
Sophomore Matt Burgess (Kingston, Mass.) hit a two-run double in the fifth to extend the lead to 9-1. In the sixth, Conti plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Juncker delivered two more runs with a single.
McElroy finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Burgess and Juncker each knocked in two for the Vikings. Junior Nick Grady (Whitefield, Maine/Erskine) went 2-for-4 for the Huskies.
Southern Maine will play a doubleheader at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) while Salem State plays a doubleheader at home Friday (12:00 p.m.) against Worcester State University.
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