Southern Maine Drops Two in Florida

            AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The University of Southern Maine baseball team dropped two game Monday losing a heart-breaking 7-6 decision in 15 innings to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) before dropping a 9-2 decision to Salve Regina University.

            Senior Taylor Hogan (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) delivered a two-out RBI single to score classmate Zach Zabel (Clarence, N.Y.) with the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning giving RIT the win over USM.  The 15-inning game was the longest in USM history eclipsing the previous mark of 14 innings against Keene State College on May 12, 2000.

            Sophomore Alex Perry (North Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) went 4 for 5 with two RBI and classmate Christian Vargas (Melbourne, Fla.) knocked in three runs as Salve Regina built a 7-0 lead in the opening four innings en route to the 9-2 victory. 

Game One

            Southern Maine rallied from a three-run deficit in the eighth inning to send the game into extra innings.  Sophomore Sam Stauble (Harrison, Maine/Bridgton Academy) drove in the first run with a double to right field.  After two strikeouts, senior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) knocked in the second run beating out an infield single.  The tying run came home on an infield error.

            RIT had opportunities to win the game in the ninth inning stranding a runner a third, and again in the 13th leaving the bases loaded.

            The Huskies loaded the bases in the top of the 15th with no outs, but could not bring home the go ahead run.  In the home half, Zabel singled up the middle with two outs, stole second and came around to score when Hogan singled up the middle.

            USM took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by DiBiase and a two-run single from sophomore Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor).  RIT got two runs back in the second, and tied the game in the third.

            The Tigers took a 6-3 lead in the sixth when sophomore Dom Scialabba (North Brunswick, N.J.) cleared the bases with a one-out triple to right field.

            Senior southpaw Dan Kinnon (Londonderry, N.H.) was the tough luck loser for the Huskies allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five.  Stauble and DiBiase led the Huskies' 14-hit attack with three hits apiece.

            Junior Tom Dillon (Oswego, N.Y.) picked up the win for the Tigers with a shaky inning of relief.  Scialabba had two hits and four RBI.  Zabel and rookies Joey Mylott (Aurora, Ohio/Western Reserve Academy) and Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville) also had two hits.

Game Two

            The Seahawks grabbed a 2-0 in their first turn at bat on a two-run triple by rookie Tristan Dacey (Wyckoff, N.J./Don Bosco Prep).  Vargas added a run in the second with his RBI bunt single.

            Perry sparked a three-run outburst in the third with an RBI triple for the first run.  Vargas brought in two more runs with a two-run single.  Perry plated the Seahawks seventh run in the fourth inning with a double down the left field line.

            Southern Maine scratched back for an unearned run in the home half of the fourth on Stauble's sacrifice fly.  The Huskies added a run in the eighth on an RBI single from sophomore Tom Budrewicz (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet Regional).

            Freshman Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine), making his first career start on the mound, was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in two-plus innings of work.

            Junior Frank Lemieux (Marshfield, Mass.) picked up the win going six innings allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks while fanning two.  Freshman Colton Eremian (Boca Raton, Fla.) had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and Vargas had two hits. 

Up Next

            Southern Maine is back in action on Wednesday (2:45 p.m.) taking on the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.

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