Box Score GORHAM, Maine -- Rookie Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) went 3 for 4 with a run scored and three RBI as the #6/#7-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Endicott College Gulls 6-5 in a non-conference baseball game Thursday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium.
The win was the seventh straight for the Huskies who are now 21-6 on the season. The Gulls, winners in their previous two outings, dropped to 18-8. The two teams which met in last year's NCAA Regional final split their home-and-home regular season series this spring.
McDonough had three singles and drove in what proved to be the winning run with a fielder's choice in the sixth inning. Seniors John Carey (South Portland, Maine) and Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass./New Hampton) had two hits apiece. Thibodeau scored three times and had the Huskies only extra-base hit, a double, in the fourth inning.
Sophomore left-hander Dan Kinnon (Londonderry, N.H.) picked up his second win of the season working 2.2 innings in relief. Kinnon allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out one. Junior Andrew Richards (South Portland, Maine) came on for Kinnon in the seventh inning to work the final three innings to earn his fourth save of the season.
Senior Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) led the Gulls' nine-hit attack with two doubles and a single and scored twice. Sophomore Matt Paola (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) was the only other repeat hitter for the Gulls with a double and a single.
Sophomore Davarn Nova (Wareham, Mass./Coyle Cassidy) started on the hill for the Gulls and took the loss. Nova worked 3.1 innings giving up five runs (three earned) on 10 hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out one. Rookie Eric Nagle (Manchester, Conn.) pitched very effectively in relief giving up one run on one hit and one walk while fanning one.
Endicott took a 4-3 lead in the top half of the fourth inning as sophomore Steve Morganelli (Milford, Mass.) walked, moved to second on Paolo's one-out single, and eventually scored on the second USM error of the inning on Gold's groundball.
The Huskies came right back with two runs in their half of the frame. Junior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.) reached on an infield error and Thibodeau followed with his double to put runners at second and third with no outs. After an infield popout, McDonough drove in Glauser with an infield single. Thibodeau would score on a sacrifice fly by Carey. Both runs were unearned.
USM added what looked like an insurance run in the sixth inning as Thibodeau walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an infield single by sophomore Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) and scored on McDonough's fielder's choice.
Gold sparked a one-run rally in the seventh with a leadoff double. Senior Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.) singled to move Gold to third and end Kinnon's day. Richards came on to get a popout before sophomore Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) singled through the right side to drive in Gold. Richards escaped further damage getting a double play to end the threat.
Southern Maine is back in action tomorrow afternoon (3:30 p.m.) with a rescheduled home game against Bowdoin College. Endicott will host Wentworth tomorrow (4:00 p.m.) for a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader.
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