Joyce, Morris Hit First Career Homers for the Huskies

            BROCKTON, Mass. -- Senior Brendon Joyce (Standish, Maine/Gorham) went 4 for 5, including his first career home run, with three RBI to lead the University of Southern Maine to a 17-10 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston in Little East Conference action Tuesday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium.

            The win improved the Huskies overall record to 19-9, and moved them into a first-place tie in the Little East with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 7-3.  The Beacons had their three-game winning streak snapped by the loss to fall to 13-12 overall and 5-5 in the conference.

            Joyce hit his first home run, a three-run shot, in the middle of the Huskies' seven-run fourth inning outburst that increased the Huskies lead to 14-2.  Senior Dylan Morris (Bangor, Maine), who went 2 for 4, also hit his first career homer in the third inning.

            Junior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) and rookie Thomas Zarro (Billerica, Mass.) had three hits apiece for the Huskies.  Junior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) and sophomores Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) and Matt Bender (Walpole, Mass.) had two hits.

            Sophomore Nick George (Peabody, Mass./Malden Catholic) picked up his third win of the season going the first five innings.  George allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while fanning five.

            Senior Todd Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) led the Beacons' 16-hit attack going 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI.  Rookie Josh Lopez (New Haven, Conn.), junior Delvis Baez (Lawrence, Mass./MassBay CC), senior Chris Adams (Whitman, Mass./Massasoit CC), and sophomore Anthony Searles (Shelton, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) had two hits.  Rookie starter Sal Frosceno (Derby, Conn.) was tagged with his fourth loss of the season after lasting only 2 1/3 innings.

            USM grabbed a 3-0 lead in its first turn at bat on an RBI single from McDonough and a two-run single by sophomore Jake Welch (Londonderry, N.H.).  UMB countered in its half of the frame with a two-run double by Ezold.

            Dexter drove in a run in the second to make it 4-2, and Morris' three-run blast to center in the third made it 7-2.

            The Huskies took advantage of four UMB errors in the fourth to score seven unearned runs. Bender had an RBI single, and two batters later, Joyce hit his first home run.  DiBiase had an RBI double that made it 14-2.

            The Beacons got two runs back in the fifth when Searles hit a two-run homer, and one in the sixth on an RBI pinch-hit double by junior Ezequiel Sanchez (Manati, Puerto Rico).

            Zarro drove in two runs with a triple in the seventh, and rookie pinch hitter Tyler Mezquita (Brentwood, N.H./Exeter) drove home a run in the eighth with a single.

            The Beacons batted around in the ninth to score four times to account for the final tally.

            Southern Maine will be at home tomorrow afternoon (4:00 p.m.) hosting Bates College for a non-conference game.  UMass Boston will host Lesley University tomorrow (5:00 p.m.) at Campanelli Stadium. 

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