Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Huskies at UMass Dartmouth on Sunday (3:00 p.m.)
FISHKILL, N.Y. -- Junior Chris Callahan (Southington, Conn./Holy Cross) drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning with a double to give the Western Connecticut State University Colonials a 2-1 victory over the ninth-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies in the second game of the teams' Little East Conference doubleheader at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y.
The Colonials took the first game, 14-8, by scoring six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete the doubleheader sweep. The two wins extended the Colonials' winning streak to six games, and improved their overall record to 7-4. The Huskies fell to 8-5 overall. The doubleheader was the Little East Conference opener for both teams.
Game One
Trailing 8-5 heading into the eighth inning, the Huskies rallied for three runs to tie the game. Junior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) brought in the first run with a bases loaded walk. Rookie Anthony Capuano (Bangor, Maine) drove in the second run with a fielder's choice, and the final run came home on an infield error.
The Colonials retook the lead in the home half of the inning on a two-run double by sophomore Frank Vartuli (Westport, Conn./Staples). Later in the inning, sophomore EJ Lavoie (East Granby, Conn.) cleared the bases with a triple to right center.
USM had taken a 4-0 lead in the first inning keyed by sophomore Matt Bender's (Walpole, Mass.) two-run single.
Western Conn. struck back for three runs in its half inning. A costly infield error contributed to two of those runs being unearned.
Bender drove in his third run of the game with a groundout in the second. Western Conn. tied the game at 5-5 with two runs in the third, again benefitting from a Husky error.
Western Conn. took a 7-5 lead in the fourth on a bases loaded walk to junior Matt Greene (New London, N.Y.) and a passed ball. The Colonials tacked on another run in the seventh when Lavoie was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Freshman Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) was the lone repeat hitter for the Huskies with a pair of singles. Bender drove in three runs, and Capuano had two RBI. Junior right-hander Ryan Browner (Georgetown, Mass.), the fourth of six hurlers used by the Huskies, took the loss.
Greene, Vartuli and sophomore Joe Costa (Hopewell Jct., N.Y./John Jay) had two hits apiece to lead the Colonials 11-hit attack. Lavoie finished with four RBI. Senior Rob Valunas (Oakville, Conn./Watertown) picked up the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Valunas did not give up a hit while walking three and striking out three.
Game Two
In the nightcap, the Huskies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning when senior Dylan Morris (Bangor, Maine) scored on a groundout off the bat of junior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering).
The Colonials tied the game in the sixth as sophomore Bryan Harper (Ledyard, Conn./St. Bernard's) scored when Costa's single was misplayed in the outfield for a two-base error.
The score remained tied until the 11th as Callahan's two-out fly ball was lost in the lights allowing Lavoie, who singled, to come all the way around from first base with the winning run.
Senior right-hander Alex Roger (Southington, Conn.) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Junior starter Todd Lyons (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) went nine innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out 13.
For the Huskies, rookie Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine/Messalonskee) had a pair of hits. Senior Andrew Richards (South Portland, Maine), who pitched three scoreless frames in the first game, was tagged with the tough-luck loss after going 5 2/3 innings. Richard gave up just three hits while striking out nine.
Up Next
Southern Maine is back in action tomorrow (3:00 p.m.) facing the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in a single non-conference game at Plymouth (Mass.) North High School. Western Connecticut travels to Ramapo College on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.).
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