NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Freshman Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) hit three home runs to tie the school single-game record and drove in eight runs as the 8th-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs 13-8 in the first game of the teams mutual Little East Conference opening doubleheader Thursday afternoon.
            UMass Dartmouth came back in the nightcap to salvage a split of the doubleheader knocking off Southern Maine 6-5 in 11 innings on senior Erik Ramirez's (Boston, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) walk-off single.
            The split leaves the Huskies at 5-1 overall and 1-1 in Little East play.  The doubleheader was the first two games of the season for the Corsairs.  The teams will play again in a non-conference doubleheader at USM's Flaherty Field on Saturday (12:00 p.m.).  No spectators are permitted.
 
Game One
            Seymour had a career day in the opener going 4 for 5.  He became the fifth player in the history of the program to hit three homers in one game.  His eight RBI was one shy of the single game mark, and his 14 total bases is a new single-game record.
            Seymour hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning that gave the Huskies the lead (3-2) for good.  In the sixth inning, he slugged a grand slam homer over the center field fence.  He tied the single game mark with his third round tripper, a two-run shot to center, in the ninth.
            Junior Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) had a pair of hits, including a solo home run in the ninth inning.  Seniors Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) and Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.) each had a double and a single, and three runs scored.
            Senior righthander Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) picked up his second win of the season going 6.1 innings. Lambert gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five.  Freshman Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine) picked up his first save going 2.1 innings giving up a harmless run on two hits and fanning three.
            Senior Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) had three hits, including a two-run homer, and four RBI to pace the Corsairs' attack.  Sophomore DJ Perron (Swansea, Mass./Diman Regional) had a double and two singles while Ramirez had two singles and scored three times.  Graduate student Robbie Carrillo (Melrose, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) started on the hill going four-plus innings to take the loss.
 
Game Two
            The Corsairs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning against USM junior starter Joshua Joy (Smithfield, Maine/Messalonskee) when Peron hit a three-run homer.  USM tied the game in the third on a wild pitch and a two-run single from Seymour.
            UMD regained the lead in the sixth on a two-run double from sophomore Andrew Bryant (Canton, Mass./Blue Hills).  The Huskies scored a pair of unearned runs in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5.
            In the home half of the 11th inning, senior Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass./O'Bryant) led off with a single.  Pinch runner Nick Cote (Londonderry, N.H.) stole second to move into scoring position.  After a one-out intentional walk to junior pinch hitter Kyle Denis (Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim), the Huskies tried to turn a double play but only got the batter at first base as Denis eluded the tag going to second base.  Ramirez followed with his single up the middle off Afthim to deliver Cote with the winning run.
            Seymour was the lone repeat hitter for the Huskies with a pair of the singles and two RBI.  Senior Gage Feeney (Cutler, Maine/Washington Academy), who came on in the ninth inning, took the loss.
            Ramirez and Vasquez had two hits apiece for the Corsairs.  Senior Logan Maitland (Tiverton, R.I.) pitched the final four innings to pick up the win in relief.  Maitland was charged with one unearned run while limiting the Huskies to just one hit and two walks.  He struck out six.