WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Southern Maine Huskies scored a run in the top of the eighth and the ninth but was unable to complete the comeback falling to the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Eagles 7-6 Saturday morning at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
 
THE BASICS:
Records:
Southern Maine (3-7)
Wisconsin La Crosse (3-3)
Score: 
Wisconsin La Crosse 7, Southern Maine 6
 
Pitching:
Winning Pitcher: UWL, Brady Schmitt (1-0), 4.0 IP, 2 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SM, James Sinclair (0-3), 6.1 IP, 7 runs (6 earned), 11 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Save: UWL, Caleb Mati, 1.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• UWL jumped on top of the Huskies 4-0 scoring two runs in the bottom of the first and bottom of the third.  Eagles' Mac Born had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single in the third to lead UWL.
• The Huskies came back with two runs in the fourth cutting their deficit to 4-2.  Senior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) had a two RBI double in the inning, while junior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) had a sacrifice fly RBI.
• The Eagles extended their lead in the home half of the fourth with a run-scoring single from Zach Carney to put UWL up 5-2.
• Komulainen again had an RBI double for the Huskies in the fifth, and Wilson had a solo home run in the sixth to make it a one-run game, 5-4, in advantage of Wisconsin La Crosse. Husky starter James Sinclair (Portland, Maine/Deering) worked around a lead off double in the fifth and retired the Eagles in order in the sixth to keep UWL off of the scoreboard.
• The Huskies were unable to plate a run in the top of the seventh, and UWL added two more runs to its lead in the home half of the inning. Jack Olver hit a two-run home run to give the Eagles some breathing room.
• Down 7-4, USM's Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) drove in a run with a two-out double.  Seymour scored sophomore Jack LeBlond (Lewiston, Maine/Bridgton Academy) who reached safely with a walk.
• After a lead off single to start inning for UWL, Seymour entered the game in relief and got the next three outs, keeping the game 7-5 headed to the top of nine.
• UWL Caleb Mati who entered the game in the ninth retired the Huskies  first two batters on fly outs before USM senior Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) connected on a solo home run to make it 7-6. Wilson followed Searle-Belanger with a single, and the Huskies' had runners at first and second after an infield error but Mati got the final out on an infield ground out.

 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine faces Augustana College on Sunday (9:00 am) to close out its Florida.