Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Southern Maine Sweeps Eastern Connecticut 14-7 and 11-4
GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine pounded out 33 hits over two games to sweep visiting Eastern Connecticut State University by scores of 14-7 and 11-4 in a Little East Conference baseball doubleheader Friday at the USM Baseball Stadium.
The two wins extend the Huskies' winning streak to seven games, and improved their overall record to 29-11. The Huskies finished the conference schedule 10-4 to tie the University of Massachusetts Boston for the regular-season title. However, by virtue of the tiebreaker, UMB will be the top seed and host the six-team, double-elimination Little East Conference Championship Tournament that begins next Wednesday.
The Warriors have now dropped five in a row to fall to 19-16 overall. They will play instate conference rival Western Connecticut State University on Saturday in a make-up game that will determine the final seeds for the conference tournament.
Senior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.) led the Huskies' 20-hit attack in the opener going 3 for 5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Classmate Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) was 4 for 5 with two doubles, four runs scored and two RBI in the nightcap. Every starter in the Huskies' lineup in both games had at least one hit.
Game One
The Huskies built an 8-0 over the first four innings to take command of the opener. Glauser scored the lone run in the second on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Kyle Heath (Westbrook, Maine). Three straight singles in the third, the last by sophomore Sam Stauble (Harrison, Maine/Bridgton Academy) produced a run, and senior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) to make it 3-0.
In the fourth, the Huskies batted around to score five times. DiBiase brought home the first run with a fielder's choice, and Dexter followed with an RBI single. After a walk to Stauble loaded the bases, McDonough lifted a sacrifice fly to advance all three runners, and Glauser followed with a two-run single.
Eastern got on the board with three runs in the fifth, and two more in the sixth on a two-run homer by rookie Alex Parkos (Meriden, Conn./Xavier) to close the gap to four at 9-5.
Southern Maine answered with three in its half of the sixth on a two-run double by Glauser and a throwing error on a double steal attempt.
Sam Dexter, McDonough, Glauser, sophomore Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) and Heath all had three hits in the game. Senior right-hander Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) pitched into the seventh inning to pick up his seven win of the season, and the 24th of his career to move into a tie for second on the all-time wins list.
Parkos was 3 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBI for the Warriors. Juniors Pat Sirois (Cromwell, Conn.) and Alex Zachary (Enfield, Conn./Enrico Fermi) and senior Tim Budd (Cheshire, Conn.) had two hits apiece as the Warriors banged out 13 hits in the game. Sophomore southpaw Jacob Smith (East Longmeadow, Mass.) started on the hill and was tagged with the loss.
Game Two
The Huskies broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the third inning, highlighted by DiBiase's two-run double and a two-run homer by McDonough.
Eastern got two runs back in the fourth on junior Christian Budzik's (Cromwell, Conn.) two-run double to left center. Sam Dexter doubled home DiBiase in the home half of the frame to make it 6-2.
The Warriors loaded the bases in the fifth on a walk, a hit batsman and an infield single, but only score once as senior left-handed reliever Dan Kinnon (Londonderry, N.H.) got a double play and a strikeout to limit the damage.
Southern Maine scored twice in the sixth on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Sam Dexter and Stauble. Eastern picked up its last run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from rookie Alexander White (West Hartford, Conn./Conrad). The Huskies closed the scoring with three in the eighth.
Kinnon picked up his fourth win of the season. Kinnon combined with senior Ryan Browner (Georgetown, Mass.) and rookie Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) to allow one run on four hits and no walks while striking out seven over the final five innings. Sophomore Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y.) was the only other repeat hitter for the Huskies with a double and a single.
The Warriors were limited five hits in the game, but benefited from six walks and a hit batsman in the first four innings. Rookie hurler Jordan Muchin (West Hartford, Conn./Conrad) was tagged with his first loss of the season after giving up six runs on seven hits in four innings of work. Muchin did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Up Next
Southern Maine will be the number two seed for the upcoming LEC tournament, and play an opponent to be determined.
-ble-
