GORHAM, Maine   – Sophomore Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) hit a solo home run over the fence in left-center field in the top of the eighth inning to drive in the go-ahead run and sophomore Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) pitched a solid 1.2 solid innings of relief to earn the win as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Wheaton College (Mass.) Lyons 4-2 in a non-conference baseball game Sunday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field.
 
Luksza's home run was the first of the season for the Huskies' shortstop, starting a three-run bottom of the eighth for USM for its second straight win. USM starter senior James Sinclair (Portland, Maine/Deering) had a solid outing pitching 7.1 innings and allowing one earned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out five.
 
THE BASICS:
Records:
Wheaton College (9-7)
Southern Maine (6-12)
 
Score: 
Southern Maine 4, Wheaton College (Mass.) 1
 
Pitching: USM 4, Wheaton 1
Winning Pitcher: SM, Cam Seymour (1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 runs, 1 hits, 1 walks, 2 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: Wheaton, Liam Goldthwaite (0-2), 4.1 IP, 1 run, 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• USM junior Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vermont) drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single to right in the bottom of the third.  Freshman Zach Mooers (Winchester, N.H./Keene) led off the inning with a double to left and moved up to third on a ground out setting up Vesosky.  Vesosky's RBI is his 10^th of the season and gave USM a 1-0 lead which held until the top of the eight.

• Back-to-back singles from seniors Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) and Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.)  to lead off had Wheaton threatening to tie the game up in the fourth.  Both Studley and DeMattio moved up a base on a ground out before Sinclair got the second out on one of his five strikeouts in the game. On the next play, Seymour made an outstanding grab at first base to rob Wheaton of a hit and Sinclair won the foot race to first to get the out.
• After retiring the side in the top of the seventh, Sinclair returned to the mound for the eighth. Getting the first out on a grounder, Sinclair yielded back-to-back singles to sophomore AJ Guindon (Singlerlands, N.Y.) and junior Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) setting up a first and third situation.  Moving from 1B, Seymour replaced Sinclair on the mound and Wheaton's Studley had an RBI fielder's choice ground out to tie the game up. 
• After an intentional walk, Wheaton had runners on first and second with two outs.  Sophomore Will Haskell (Natick, Mass.) laced a single to left, but the Lyons lead runner was cut down at home on a fantastic throw from USM left fielder junior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.), ending the threat.
• With the game tied and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Luksza stepped to the plate and crushed the second home run of his USM career giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead.  Seymour singled to right field before the Lyons' senior Zach Clesas got the second out of the inning via strikeout.
• USM sophomore Lucas Francis (Lisbon, Maine) had a two-out single deep into the third base hole making it first and second with two outs for the Huskies before Wilson followed his outstanding defensive play with a two-run double to left for a 4-1 lead.
• Seymour returned to the mound to work the ninth and retired the Lyons in order, including back-to-back strikeouts for the win.
• Vesosky and Luksza each were 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI as the Huskies collected 10 hits off of the Wheaton pitchers.
• Wheaton's Croteau and Studley were 2-for-4.  USM's Sinclair and Seymour did not allow an extra base hit to the Lyons.

 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine hosts non-conference opponent Husson University on Tuesday (3:00 pm) and then heads to nearby St. Joseph's (Maine) College on Wednesday (3:30 pm). USM returns to LEC play during the weekend heading to Western Connecticut on Saturday (12:00 pm) for a doubleheader.