Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Freshman Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) was 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored as the eighth-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies pounded out 17 hits en route to a 12-1 win over the Colby College Mules in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday afternoon at the USM Baseball Field.
Playing in its first home game of the season, Southern Maine improves its record to 15-6 with the win. Colby falls to 10-5 with the loss. Southern Maine leads the series between the two schools 41-12 and has won the last 13 meetings.
McDonough was one of five Huskies to connect for at least two hits. Seniors John Carey (South Portland, Maine), Chris Bernard (Scarborough, Maine) and Matt Verrier (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) and sophomore Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) each had two hits. Bernard and Verrier each drove in a pair of runs.
Southern Maine freshman RHP Nick George (Peabody, Mass./Malden Catholic) earned his second win of the season to improve to 2-0. George allowed one earned run on four hits over six innings. In a strong performance, George did not yield a walk and struck out three.
After a scoreless first inning, Southern Maine jumped on top of Colby starter senior Luke Geoghegan (Boston, Mass./Loomis Chaffee) for four runs on five hits and a walk in the bottom of the second. Senior Forrest Chadwick (Gardiner, Maine) led off the inning and crossed home plate on an RBI double to the center field fence by Bernard. Trailing 1-0, Colby got the next two outs on a infield fly and a failed steal attempt by Bernard. Back-to-back singles from freshman Matt Bender (Walpole, Mass.) and senior Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass./New Hampton) and a wild pitch made it 2-0, before junior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.) made it 3-0 on his fourth triple of the season. Glauser came around to score making it 4-0 on an RBI single from McDonough.
Staked a 4-0 lead after two innings, George continued to pitch strongly keeping the Mules off the scoreboard as the Huskies added two runs in the bottom of the third and three runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 9-0 lead. George retired the first eight batters he faced in order and giving up just two singles through the first five innings. George was aided by outstanding defensive plays in the outfield, including a diving catch in left field in the top of the second from Bernard and a pair of diving grabs from Glauser to take away hits to right field.
Trailing 9-0 heading to the top of the sixth, Colby struck for a run. Junior Jason Buco (Methuen, Mass.) banged out an RBI triple to score senior Kevin Galvin (Portsmouth, R.I.). Galvin initiated the Mules' offense connecting on a two-out single up the middle and then stole second base.
Senior Logan Carman (Newfield, N.H.) relieved George in the top of the seventh and worked two innings allowing an infield single in the top of the eighth while fanning four. Junior Dylan Morris (Bangor, Maine) closed out the game in the ninth giving up one hit.
Geoghegan took the loss allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks in two innings. Sophomore Daniel Csaplar (Winchester, Mass./Belmont Hill) worked four innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits. Freshmen Lucas de la Cruz (Key Biscayne, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Robert Donohue (Clinton, Mass./Bancroft school) pitched the seventh and eighth innings respectively. de la Cruz allowed two earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks.
Southern Maine hosts Husson University on Thursday (3:30 p.m.). Colby travels to Bowdoin on Friday (3:00 p.m.).
USM Notes: Senior Chris Bernard's fourth-inning double was the 100th hit of his career.
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