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Lukzsa HR
Connor Blake
Junior Janek Lukzsa's third career home run was one of three home runs for the Huskies in game 2
1
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO 19-11, 7-2 LEC
3
Winner Southern Me. SOUTHERN 11-16, 6-4 LEC
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO
19-11, 7-2 LEC
1
Final
3
Southern Me. SOUTHERN
11-16, 6-4 LEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 8 1
Southern Me. SOUTHERN 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 X 3 8 0

W: Afthim, Bryce (3-3) L: D. Ryan (4-1)

3
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO 19-12, 7-3 LEC
9
Winner Southern Me. SOUTHERN 12-16, 7-4 LEC
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO
19-12, 7-3 LEC
3
Final
9
Southern Me. SOUTHERN
12-16, 7-4 LEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Mass.-Boston MASS.-BO 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 8 1
Southern Me. SOUTHERN 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 2 X 9 11 1

W: Robbins, Clay (4-2) L: R. Dexter (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Christina Cracolici, Director of Athletic Communications

Southern Maine Sweeps UMass Boston 3-1, 9-3

GORHAM, Maine  – Junior Bryce Afthim (Windham, Maine) threw a complete game gem in game one, striking out nine, and senior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) was 4-for-7 with two runs scored and four RBI over two games as the University of Southern Maine Huskies swept the UMass Boston Beacons 3-1, 9-3 in a Little East Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field.
 
Sophomore Clay Robbins (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) pitched a solid 6.1 innings in game two with six strikeouts for his fourth win of the season.
 
THE SERIES:
Today's games marked the 70th and 71st meeting between University of Southern Maine and UMass Boston.  Including today's sweep, USM leads the series over the Beacons 50-21.  The Huskies have won three of the last four over UMass Boston, splitting the 2022 series 3-13, 5-4 and falling to UMB in the LEC tournament in 2022, 7-0.
 
THE BASICS:
Game 1 - Records:
UMass Boston (19-11, 7-2 LEC)
Southern Maine ( 11-16, 6-4 LEC)
Score: Southern Maine 3, UMass Boston 1
 
Game – 2 Records: 
UMass Boston (19-12, 7-3 LEC)
Southern Maine ( 12-16, 7-4 LEC)
Score: Southern Maine 9, UMass Boston 3
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. UMB Game 1
Winning Pitcher: SM, Bryce Afthim (3-3), 9.0 IP, 8 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: UMB, Dillon Ryan (4-1), 6.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. UMB Game 2
Winning Pitcher:  SM, Clay Robbins (4-2), 6.1 IP, 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, six strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: UMB, Ross Dexter (3-3), 5.0 IP, 8 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UMB Game 1:
  • Afthim retired the first six batters he faced, and kept the Beacons off the score board through five innings.  UMB starter Dillon Ryan also kept the Huskies off the board through five, tallying three strikeouts.
  • In the top of the sixth, UMass Boston struck first for a 1-0 lead using back-to-back doubles from Bostyn Burris and Drew Metzdorf. 
  • The Huskies came back in the home half of the sixth, led by a one-out double from freshman Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine/Cony) to start.  After a failed pick off moved Douin to third and a walk put senior Arlo Pike (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) at first, Komulainen picked up his first RBI of the doubleheader with a single into right.  Senior Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) made it 2-1 in favor of the Huskies a batter later with a single into to right to score Pike.
  • USM added an insurance run in the eight after Komulainen led off with a double.  Advancing to third on a wild pitch, Komulainen made it 3-1 after an RBI sacrifice fly to left from senior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.). 
  • Afthim earned the win completing the game picking up two of his nine strikeouts in the ninth, working his way around a pair of singles.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UMB - Game 2:
  • Down 2-0 through four innings, Southern Maine exploded for six runs in the fifth and scored three more over the next three innings to earn the sweep.
  • UMB led 1-0 in the second after a Gianni Zarrilli launched a solo home run to center field, and then took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single to left center from Burris.
  • Held to three hits over the first four innings, Southern Maine scored its six runs on five hits in the fifth.  Sophomore Anthony Poole (South Portland, Maine) led off the inning with a single to center and scored on an RBI single through the right side from junior Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) to half the deficit, 2-1.  USM tied it up when senior Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vermont) scored on a wild pitch. 
  • After a walk to Pike gave USM runners on first and second, Komulainen laced a three-run home run to left for a 5-2 Husky lead. In the next at bat, Wilson made it back-to-back home runs with a solo shot to left for a 6-3 USM lead.
  • Robbins kept the Beacons off the board in the top of the sixth, working around two singles and a walk, before USM made it 7-3 in the bottom of the inning with its third home run of the game – this time off of the bat of junior Janek Lukzsa (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills).
  • UMB's Metzdorf made it 7-3 in the seventh with an RBI fielder's choice, but USM reliever junior Lucas Francis (Lisbon, Maine/Lisbon Falls) got the final out to end the threat.
  • Francis retired UMB in order in the eighth, and USM tacked on another two runs with a two-out, two RBI double from Douin and a 9-3 lead.
  • Junior Matt Burnett (Ellsworth, Maine) fired the final inning for the Huskies getting two fly outs and a ground out to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Seven of the Huskies' 19 hits in the doubleheader were for extra bases.  Freshman Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine/Cony) had two doubles, while Komulainen and senior Arlo Pike (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) each had one.  Komulainen, junior Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) and senior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) each had home runs.  
  • The win marked Afthim's third complete game victory of the season. 
 
 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine travels to Colby on Tuesday (4:00 pm).
-cac-
 
 
 
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