Box Score Southern Maine Downs Plymouth State 13-10
GORHAM, Maine -- Freshman Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) went 2 for 3 with five RBI to help the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeat the visiting Plymouth State University Panthers, 13-10, in a non-conference baseball game Monday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field.
The win was the fifth straight for the Huskies, and their eighth in the last nine, and improved their overall record to 12-6. The Panthers dropped their fourth straight game to fall back to .500 at 9-9 overall. The two teams will meet again for a Little East Conference doubleheader at Flaherty Field on April 21.
Komulainen had an RBI sacrifice fly to drive in USM's first run in the third inning, an RBI single to plate the first run in a six-run uprising in the fourth, and a three-run double in the Huskies' decisive six-run sixth inning.
The Huskies banged out 16 hits off five Panther hurlers. Rookie Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) and junior Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) lead the hit parade with three hits apiece. Junior Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine/Messalonskee) and sophomore Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.) had two hits apiece.
Sophomore Jimmy Zimolka (Londonderry, N.H.) led Plymouth State with three hits and scored three times. Senior Nate Frederick (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) had two hits and a pair of RBI. Sophomore Ben Curry (Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) had a three-run double.
Sophomore Colton Lawrence (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue), the third of seven USM pitchers used in the game, got his second win of the season with one shutout inning of relief. Dexter was called upon to get the final out to earn his seventh save of the season and the 20th of his career to break the previous mark of 19 set by former All-American Andrew Richards.
Graduate student Dallas DeFrancesco (Meriden, Conn./Maloney) took the loss on the hill for the Panthers.
PSU took a 4-0 lead scoring an unearned run in the first inning on Frederick's sacrifice fly, and three more in the third on a Frederick RBI single, a bases loaded walk to junior Chris Mansour (Lowell, Mass.) and an RBI ground out from senior Mitch Sytulek (Raymond, N.H.).
Troiano led off the home half of the third with a triple and scored on Komulainen's sac fly.
The Huskies grabbed a 7-4 lead in the four sending 11 men to the plate to score six times, all coming with two outs. Komulainen ignited the rally with his RBI single. The second run scored on a wild pitch on a third strike. Dexter followed with a two-run single, and Warren drove in the final two with a single.
Plymouth State tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth on Curry's bases loaded double to right-center field.
Southern Maine retook the lead for good in the sixth scoring six times, again with all the runs coming after two were out. Warren snapped the tie with an RBI double. Komulainen's bases loaded double down the right-field line plated three, and he scored on an RBI single from junior Zach Quintal (Eliot, Maine/Marshwood).
Plymouth State made things interesting in the final two innings getting an unearned run in the eighth, and two in the ninth. Dexter was summoned in the ninth with a 2-0 count on junior Geoff Kayo (Londonderry, N.H.), and finished off a walk charged to the previous pitcher. With the tying run at the plate, Dexter got the final out with a strikeout.
Southern Maine will continue its homestand on Wednesday (4 p.m.) hosting Colby College. Plymouth State travels to Salem State University on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.).
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