Salem State Defeats Southern Maine 10-1

            HARWICH, Mass. -- Senior Ryan Beliveau (Lynn, Mass.) and junior Richard Fecteau (Newbury, Mass.) combined for five hits and eight RBI as the fourth-seeded Salem State University Vikings got the jump on the top-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies to take a 10-1 victory Thursday in Game Seven of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament being played at Whitehouse Field.

            The win sends the Vikings (27-13) into the winner's bracket game (Game 11) against the winner of the late game between Ramapo College and Curry College.  The Huskies will face an elimination game on Friday (10:00 a.m.) against Wesleyan University.  Wesleyan stayed alive on Thursday by defeating Castleton State College 7-4.

            A costly miscue in the first inning led to four unearned runs for the Vikings.  A mishandled throw with the bases loaded gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead before Beliveau cleared the bases with a two-out double to left-center field.

            The Huskies tried to get back into the game in the second inning, but squandered a one-out, bases-loaded against Salem State sophomore starter Mike Richardson (Belmont, Mass.).

            Salem State added five runs in its half of the second inning as Fecteau drove in two with a single down the right field line, freshman Dan Connors (Danvers, Mass.) plated the third run with a sacrifice fly, and Beliveau slammed a triple to center field to delivered in the fourth and fifth runs.

            Richardson, who retired eight in a row from the second through fourth innings, surrendered one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four to improve to 7-2 on the season.  The Huskies finally reached the second-year right-hander for a run in the eighth inning as sophomore Damon Wallace (Gorham, Maine) led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee).

            Led by Fecteau and Beliveau, the Vikings had 12 hits against six USM hurlers.  Senior leadoff hitter Kevin Carens (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) and sophomore Andrew Deloury (Andover, Mass.) had three hits apiece.

            The Vikings added their 10th run in the seventh inning as Fecteau's infield single scored sophomore Teghan Malionek (Salem, Mass.).

            Sophomore Matt Bender (Walpole, Mass.) was the lone repeat hitter for the Huskies.  Junior left-hander Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.) started on the hill and was tagged with the loss.

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