AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Ashton Long went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and Aidan Volk-Specht struck out seven in six innings to lead the Crown College Polars to a 5-3 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies at the RussMatt Invitational hosted at the Lake Myrtle Athletics Complex.
THE BASICS:
Records:
Crown College (6-3)
Southern Maine (1-5)
Today's game marked the first meeting between the Huskies and Crown College Polars.
Score:
Crown College 5, Southern Maine 3
Pitching:
Winning Pitcher: CC, Aidan Volk Specht (1-1), 6.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SM, Kyle Skolfeild (0-1), 6.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts.
SV, CC, Mason Brock
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In solid pitching efforts from both squads, Crown broke up the scoreless game in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Long.
- The Royals went up 4-0 in the top of the seventh. Long had a two-run single in the inning as part of a five-hit seventh for Crown. The Huskies took one back from the Royals in the home half of the seventh as Christian Siciliano led off the inning with a single. Senior Brogan Searl-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) followed with a single of his own, and a walk to junior Janek Lukza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) loaded the bases. The Huskies scored on a double play grounder to trail 4-1.
- Southern Maine made it a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth, with Siciliano picking up an RBI and Searle-Belanger driving in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 4-3 game; however, Crown responded in the top of the ninth with a lead off home run from Howie Hatton for a 5-3 lead.
- In the bottom of the ninth, USM had its leadoff hitter reach on an infield error only to be erased by a double play. Senior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) drew a two-out walk, but Mason Brock got the final out and the save with an infield fly for the game.
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine returns on Thursday (4:30 pm) against Oswego State.
-cac-
