HARTFORD, Conn. – Freshman Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine) hurled an eight-hit shutout and classmate Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the University of Southern Maine remains alive in the NCAA Division III Baseball Hartford Regional Tournament, defeating SUNY Oswego 4-0 Saturday afternoon in Game Seven of the six-team, double-elimination tournament at DiBenedetto Stadium on the campus of Trinity College.
            The win moves the Huskies, 33-10 overall, into Game Nine of the regional against unbeaten Wheaton College.  The game is scheduled to begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. tonight.  The Lakers are eliminated from the regional and finish the season 25-7 overall.
            Afthim, making just his second start of the season in 19 appearances, allowed eight hits and gave up four walks while fanning five for his first career shutout.  He outdueled junior Anthony Van Fossen (Endwell, N.Y.) who allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out nine.
            Seymour provided the Huskies with all the runs they would need in the fifth with his 13th home run of the season.  Junior Brogan Searle Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vt.).  Rookie Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) singled to put runners on the corners for Seymour.  The 2021 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year lined a Van Fossen pitch down the line for his 13th home run of the season to give USM a 3-0 lead.
            Oswego threatened against Afthim in the eighth.  Senior Brendon Frank (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) singled to open the inning, and moved up on a one-out single from senior Kyle Lauria (Point Pleasant, N.J.).  A balk against Afthim moved the runners to second and third, but the freshman struck out the next two batters to escape.
            The Huskies added an insurance run in their half of the frame on a single from senior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine), a ground out and junior Sam Troiano's (South Portland, Maine) RBI single to right field.  Troiano
            Afthim, now 10-1 on the season, retired the Lakers in order in the ninth to complete the shutout. 
            Troiano was the Huskies lone repeat hitter going 3 for 4 at the plate.  Lauria had three hits, and Frank two, as the Lakers outhit the Huskies 9-8.
            Game Eight has Johnson & Wales University taking on Salve Regina University in an elimination game.