MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vt.) stroked a two-run single in the sixth inning and rookie Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine) hurled 4.2 shutout innings in relief as the second-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies staved off elimination by defeating the top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State Warriors 4-3 in the second game of the teams' best of three Little East Conference Baseball Championship series Thursday afternoon at Eastern Stadium.
            Eastern Connecticut scored four times in the top of the 10th inning to take the opening game of the series earlier in the afternoon.  The two teams will meet Friday afternoon (1:00 p.m.) in the decisive third game of the series with the winner earning an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Tournament.
            The Huskies, who had their 14-game winning streak snapped by the loss in the opener, are now 30-9 on the season.  The Warriors had their 11-game winning streak stopped in the nightcap to slip to 32-5.
 
Game One
            The Huskies and Warriors needed extra innings to decide the opening game of the doubleheader.  Tied 2-2 in the 10th, the Warriors scored four runs on a two-run homer from senior John Mesagno (Tappan, N.Y.) and a two-run double from senior Holden White (Wallingford, Conn.).
            Junior Matt Malcom (East Lyme, Conn.) gave Eastern the early lead with a solo home run in the second inning.  Southern Maine junior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) matched Malcom with a solo shot leading off the third inning.
            Eastern regained the lead in the fourth when Malcom hit his second round tripper of the game, giving him eight on the season.  The lead lasted until the fifth when Vesosky hit his second home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
            The Warriors threatened in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against USM senior pitcher Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy).  Lambert escaped a one-out, second and third situation in the sixth with a ground ball and a strikeout.  Afthim would come on to face a two-out, bases loaded jam in the eighth and got the Huskies out of the inning with a fly ball.
            Vesosky, senior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) and rookie Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) had a pair of hits apiece for the Huskies.  Seniors Luke Broadhurst (Stafford, Conn.) and Jack Rich (Meriden, Conn.) led the Warriors' 13-hit attack with three hits apiece.
            Afthim was tagged with his first loss of the season after eight wins.  He worked two innings and was charged with four runs.  Senior reliever Bryan Albee (Killingly, Conn.), who worked one inning in relief of senior starter Josh Vincent (New London, Conn.), got the win.
            Lambert worked 7.2 innings allowing two runs on eight hits and five walks.  He struck out three.  Vincent worked eight innings giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks.  He struck out 12.
 
Game Two
            Southern Maine grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Luksza and senior Dylan Hapworth's (Winslow, Maine) RBI groundout.  Senior Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.) singled to lead off, and was followed by a double from junior Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) to set the table.
            Eastern Connecticut got one back in the home half when Broadhurst hit a solo home run.
            The Warriors took advantage of two hits, a walk and a throwing error to plate two runs for a 3-2 lead in the fifth.  Rich drove in the tying run with a single, and Mesagno came in on the throwing error.
            Troiano and Luksza led off the sixth with a double and single putting runners at second and third.  After a pair of strikeouts, junior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) drew a walk to load the bases for Vesosky.  Down 1-2 in the count, Vesosky stroked a single to center field to score Troiano and Luksza.
            Afthim protected the lead and escaped a Warrior threat in the eighth inning with an inning-ending double play.  Afthim would allow just two hits without a walk over the final 4.2 innings to earn his ninth win of the season.  He struck out two.
            Vesosky, Troiano, Luksza and freshman Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) all had two hits for the Huskies.  Malcom (East Lyme, Conn.) led the Warriors' 10-hit attack with three hits.
            Senior John Parker (Brunswick, Maine), the second of four Eastern pitchers used in the game, was tagged with the loss.
 
Husky Milestones
            Senior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) became the 31st player in the history of the USM baseball program, and second player this year, to reach 200 career hits.  Hillier's third-inning single in the opening game was his milestone base hit.  He joins senior Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.) who reached the milestone on April 10, as the two newest members of the exclusive club.