GORHAM, Maine – Freshman right-hander Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine) hurled seven shutout innings as the University of Southern Maine broke open a close game in the late innings to post an 8-1 win over the University of Massachusetts Boston in Little East Conference action Tuesday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field.
            With the win, the Huskies improved their overall mark to 17-8 and are now 8-4 in Little East Conference play.  The Beacons fall to 3-4 overall and in conference play.
            Afthim and UMB sophomore starter Alex Amalfi (Ashland, Mass.) hooked up in a scoreless pitcher's duel through four innings.  Afthim allowed just one hit and struck out five over the first four frames while Amalfi gave up two hits and fanned six.
            The Huskies broke through against Amalfi in the fifth inning when senior Dylan Hapworth (Winslow, Maine) was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run single from freshman Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills), and scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vt.).
            Afthim benefited from inning-ending double plays in the sixth and seventh innings.  Luksza started a 4-6-3 twin killing on a hard-hit ball in the sixth and Vesosky ranged deep to right-center field to track down a fly ball and doubled the runner off first base to end the seventh.
            The Huskies added two insurance runs in the seventh.  Hapworth's RBI single plated sophomore Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) who led off the inning with a double.  Hapworth moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Luksza's single to left.
            Senior pitcher Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) came on for USM in the eighth and struck out the side before the Huskies tacked up five more runs to blow the game open.  The key hits in the inning were a two-run single from junior Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) and a three-run double from freshman Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy).
            The Beacons scored their lone run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from sophomore Aidan Blake (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet Regional).
            Senior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) and Luksza led the Huskies' 10-hit attack with a pair of hits.  Afthim allowed just four hits and one walk over seven frames to earn his sixth win of the season.  He struck out five.  Lambert picked up a save allowing the one run on one hit and three walks while striking out five.
            Junior Nico Kydes (Stamford, Conn.) was the lone Beacon to solve Afthim banging out a double and single.  Amalfi went six innings allowing one run on four hits.  He did not walk a batter and struck out nine.
            Southern Maine has added a doubleheader to its schedule for this Saturday (May 1) against the University of Maine at Farmington.  UMass Boston is scheduled to travel to Western Connecticut State University tomorrow for a Little East Conference doubleheader.