Southern Maine, UMass Dartmouth Split LEC Doubleheader
Huskies Win LEC Regular Season, Host Conference Tournament

            GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) hit a home run and threw out the potential tying run at home to end the game and give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 2-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs in the nightcap of the teams' Little East Conference baseball doubleheader Friday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium.

            The victory gave the Huskies the LEC regular season title and the right to host next week's six-team, double-elimination tournament that starts Wednesday morning.  USM has won or shared the LEC regular season title the past four years.  The Huskies, now 26-11 overall, finished their conference schedule at 10-4.

            The Corsairs, who needed to sweep the Huskies to earn the top seed coming into Friday's twin bill, overcame a one-run deficit in the ninth inning to win the first game 6-5.  The Corsairs are 22-15 overall and 9-5 in the conference. 

Game One

            UMass Dartmouth scored three times in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4, and twice in the ninth to overcome a 5-4 deficit to take the opener and force the winner-take-all nightcap.

            Trailing 4-1 going into the seventh, senior Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) doubled and scored on a single by senior Nick Farias (Fall River, Mass.) that ended USM junior starter Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) stint on the mound.  Senior Andrew Richards (South Portland, Maine) came on for USM and was touched up for a single by senior George Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.) and an RBI double by senior Cory DeMedeiros (Fall River, Mass.).  The tying run scored on a Huskies' miscue at first base on a ground ball.

            Freshman Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor) gave the Huskies a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth with a clutch two-out single to center field.

            With a runner at first and one out in the ninth, the Corsairs roughed up Richards for three straight hits, a single from DeMedeiros, and RBI single by senior Alberto Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) and an RBI double by rookie Jack Harrington (Barnstable, Mass.) that deliver the go-ahead run.  The Huskies escaped further damage getting a double play to end the inning.

            Southern Maine loaded the bases in their half of the frame on a walk, infield error and a hit batsman, but junior left-hander Aaron Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) got the final out with a strikeout.

            The Huskies built a 4-1 lead through the first three innings.  USM scored twice in the first on a two-run double by senior Brendon Joyce (Standish, Maine/Gorham).  The Huskies added a single run in the second as Martins scored on a wild pitch, and one in the third on back-to-back doubles by Dexter and sophomore Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine).

            Vasquez countered for the Corsairs with an RBI single in the third to score Farias who led off the inning with a double.

            Farias and DeMedeiros had four hits apiece to pace the Corsairs' 17-hit attack.  Agostini had three hits, and Vasquez had two hits and two RBI.  Junior starter Steve Colella (Leominster, Mass.) went the first eight innings to pick up his sixth win of the season against one loss.  Chouinard picked up his first save of the season.

            Dexter and Martins led the Huskies with three hits each.  Dexter had a double and two singles, and scored twice, while Martins had three singles, a run scored and an RBI.  Junior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) also had two hits.  Richards took his fourth loss allowing three runs in three innings of work. 

Game Two

            Dexter broke up a scoreless pitching duel in the fifth inning taking a 0-1 pitch from junior George Bent (Barnstable, Mass.) out the park for his seventh home run of the season giving USM a 1-0 lead.

            The Huskies tacked on what proved to be the winning run in the seventh inning as Martins came across on an outfield throwing error.  With one out, Martins doubled to left and moved to third on a single to right by junior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine).  The throw in from the outfield was errant allowing Martins score to give USM a 2-0 lead.

            UMD responded in the eight with a leadoff double from Harrington and a single from classmate Josh O'Neill (Halifax, Mass.) to put runners at the corners. Medeiros delivered Harrington with a sacrifice fly to left.  A double by Farias and an intentional walk to Agostini loaded the bases and ended the day for USM left-handed started Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.).

            Richards came on to get the Huskies out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground ball out.

            In the ninth, senior Ben Monteiro (Swansea, Mass.) reached with a one-out single, and was pinch run for by freshman Zach Courier (Mansfield, Mass.).  After a fly ball out, sophomore pinch hitter Taylor Cacciola (West Greenwich, R.I.) looped a fly ball into right that fell in front of DiBiase for a hit.  DiBiase hit Dexter in the cut-off position, and the shortstop fired a strike to Joyce to cut down Courier at home to end the ballgame.

            DiBiase, Dexter, Martins and rookie Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine/Messalonskee) had two hits apiece for the Huskies.  Leavitt earned his fourth win of the season going 7 1/3 innings allowing one run on eight hits and one walk while striking out four.  Richards picked up his seventh save going the final 1 2/3 innings.

            Medeiros led the Corsairs' 10-hit attack with a pair of singles. Bent was the tough-luck loser (1-3) giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits.  Bent did not walk a batter and struck out seven. 

Up Next

            Southern Maine will finish the regular season Saturday (12:00 p.m.) with a non-conference doubleheader at Colby College.  UMass Dartmouth concludes the season tomorrow (4:00 p.m.) playing Newbury College at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Mass.

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