Box Score Salem State Uses Big Inning to Defeat Southern Maine 11-6
SALEM, Mass. -- The Salem State University Vikings took advantage of five hits, two balks and two hit batsmen to score six runs in the sixth inning to take an 11-6 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference game Thursday afternoon at Central Campus Baseball Field. The game was moved to Salem State as the Huskies' home field is still covered by snow.
The win extended the Vikings' winning streak to five games, and improved their overall record to 9-5. The Huskies dropped their third game in the last four to slip to 9-6 overall.
Senior Kevin Carens (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) paced the Vikings' 17-hit attack going 5 for 6 with four runs scored and three RBI. Junior Richard Fecteau (Newbury, Mass./Triton Regional) went 4 for 5 with three RBI, and sophomore Andrew Deloury (Andover, Mass.) was 3 for 4 with two runs scored.
Rookie right-handed starter Will Twiss (Masconomet, Mass./Masconomet Regional) picked up the win on the hill for the Vikings going the first five innings allowing 10 hits and four runs. Junior Pete Gonski (East Lyme, Conn.) earned his first save going the final 3 2/3 innings giving up an unearned run on three hits.
Juniors Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) and Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) led the Huskies as each went 3 for 5 at the plate. Sophomore Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) and rookie Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) had two hits apiece.
Junior southpaw Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.) started on the mound for the Huskies and was tagged with his first loss of the season.
Trailing 4-3 heading into the sixth inning, junior Teghan Malionek (Salem, Mass.) ended Leavitt's day with a two-run single that gave the Vikings a 5-4 lead. Carens drove in the third run of the inning with a single. Two balks resulted in a pair of runs coming across the plate to push the lead to 8-4. Fecteau drove in the sixth run with a double before the Huskies could record an out.
Southern Maine had taken a 3-0 lead in the first inning as McDonough, DiBiase and Dexter had consecutive extra-base hits off Twiss. Dexter scored the third run on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Matt Bender (Walpole, Mass.).
Salem State reached Leavitt for a single run in the third on a Fecteau double, and tied the game in the fifth with two runs on an RBI single by Carens and Fecteau's second RBI double.
The Huskies regained the lead (4-3) in the home half of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by senior Brendon Joyce (Standish, Maine/Gorham).
Southern Maine travels to New Britain, Conn., on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) to play Eastern Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference doubleheader. Salem State will host Bridgewater State University tomorrow (1:00 p.m.) for a MASCAC doubleheader.
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