GORHAM, Maine – For the second straight day, the 20th-ranked University of Southern Maine baseball team swept Castleton University by scores of 8-1 and 9-5 in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Ed Flaherty Field.
            The two wins extend the Huskies' current winning streak to 12 games.  The Huskies concluded the 2021 regular season with a 27-8 overall record.  The Spartans have dropped eight straight and finished the regular season 9-21.  Both teams will advance to next week's Little East Conference Championship Tournament.
            In the opening game, rookie Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) drove in three runs with a single and a two-run homer to support the strong pitching from seniors Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) and Gavin Arsenault (Dixfield, Maine/Dirigo).
            The nightcap featured a five-hit, four runs scored game for sophomore Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vt.) and senior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) driving in four runs, including two with his second home run of the season.
 
Game One
            The Huskies grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning and never looked back.  Senior Dylan Hapworth (Winslow, Maine) and junior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) had back-to-back RBI singles to give the home side the lead.
            After Castleton nicked Lambert for a run in the top of the third on an outfield error, the Huskies put up three to extend the lead to 5-1.  Back-to-back fielder's choice plays brought in the first two runs, and the third crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Arlo Pike (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle).
            Seymour drove in a run in the fourth with a single and put the final two runs on the board in the sixth with a two-run shot of the 406 sign in right center field.  The home run was the 11th of the season for Seymour.
            Lambert went the first five innings allowing the one run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine.  Arsenault came on to earn a four-inning save pitching shutout baseball.  The southpaw allowed just two hits and struck out three.
            Komulainen led the Huskies' 10-hit attack going 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles.  Seymour was the only other repeat hitter.
 
Game Two
            The Huskies snapped a 3-3 tie by scoring four times in the sixth inning.  Vesosky's RBI double down the left field line gave the Huskies the lead.  Seymour drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly to deep right, and Hillier capped off the rally with a two-run shot over the center field fence to make it 7-3.
            Castleton responded with two runs in the seventh against winning hurler, rookie Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine).  Sophomore Evan Keegan (Whippleville, N.Y.) brought in the first run with a single to left.  With runners at the corners, Keegan stole second.  When the throw got away at second base, sophomore Reece De Castro (Rutland, Vt.) scampered home to make it 7-5.
            Southern Maine added two insurance runs in the eighth on Vesosky's bunt single and subsequent throwing error that allowed junior Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) to score all the way from first.  Two fly balls later, Vesosky came across the plate.
            Afthim picked up his eighth win of the season in relief of freshman starter Dylan Miner (East Baldwin, Maine/Sacopee Valley).  Afthim went four innings allowing three runs on four hits and three walks.  He struck out seven.  Senior Gage Feeney (Cutler, Maine/Washington Academy) pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first career save.
            Vesosky and Hiller combined for seven of the Huskies' 11 hits.  Vesosky's five-hit game was the first by a USM player this season.
            Keegan went 3 for 4 with two RBI for the Spartans.  Rookie Adam Newton (Putney, Vt.) had two hits before leaving the game.  Freshman reliever Aubrey Ramey (Fair Haven, Vt.) took the loss.
 
Seniors Recognized
            Prior to the start of the first game, the Huskies took time to recognize their eight seniors.  They are left-handed relief pitcher Gavin Arsenault (Dixfield, Maine/Dirigo), right-handed relief pitcher Cody Braga (Middleboro, Mass.), right-handed pitcher Gage Feeney (Cutler, Maine/Washington Academy), outfielder Dylan Hapworth (Winslow, Maine), infielder Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine), right-handed pitcher Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy), right-handed relief pitcher Colton Lawrence (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) and shortstop Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.).
 
Up Next
            Southern Maine will host one of two three-team pods in the Little East Conference Tournament that starts Thursday.